the Truth and the Lie
by Singular Poisonous Ashes
Summary: Two girls find a fan's dream come true - they're actually nations! Hurray, right? Well, turns out that having your independence and personhood taken from you is actually enough for anyone to fall into depression. At least, that is, unless you manage to gain back your sovereignty in time and before it's too late... A part-deconstruction on the OC-becomes-a-nation story.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Chapter one.

"How did we end up here?" Xiao-chin asked, as she propped herself up on the bed by her elbows, and swiveled her head around to take a good look at the room. One moment she'd been studying hard at home for a test she was meant to do in two month time (no harm in being prepared) and the next she'd woken up here.

There was a girl lying in the bed with her, but she was unconscious still and Xiao-chin doubted that she was to blame for their circumstances. The girl wore her hair down on her right side, and on her left she had braided her hair. She was a blonde and her features seemed rather European. She was quite a bit taller for Xiao-chin, who was only above average in height in Asian standards.

"Wake up sleeping beauty," Xiao-chin eventually said, after waiting for the girl's reply. She shook the girl gently by her shoulders. The girl stirred in her grip, languidly opening her eyelids, before she snapped to attention at the sight of Xiao-chin's unfamiliar face. The girl noticed Xiao-chin's Asian features at first, then her half-lidded, sleepy gaze. Her eyes were a particular clear blue, but not all that colourful. She seemed quite small, though quite strong at the same time, lean muscles in full display.

The girl scrambled backwards, shifting the covers which had been covering her. They had weighted barely anything, she noted. The bedspread was most likely satin. "Hey, kid," the Asian girl said, "Do you have a clue on why we are here? Do you remember how we ended up here?" The girl's eyes averted to a spot in the distance, becoming dull as she submerged into her memories. She remembered a man, blonde hair slicked back. He'd been particularly muscled, more so than Xiao-chin, in an overt manner.

She'd been in conversation with him, about an anime she'd known about, Hetalia. She'd been enthusiastically explaining all the nations and how the man had looked a lot like a realistic Germany. That's all she could remember. She shook her head in negative, biting the inside of her mouth in distress. The Asian woman didn't look surprised, her hawk like gaze penetrating instead the exit.

"Maybe our captures forgot to lock the door?" she wondered out loud for the girl's convenience, before she slipped of the bed and began to walts over to the mahogany door. She doubted it, but there was no harm in trying. She pulled on the clink but it wouldn't open, no matter how much pressure she exerted. Xia-chin closed her eyes and let go. Soon after that, she pivoted on her foot and struck the door in a kick. She could feel it bouncing in it's frame. Starting to feel more confident, she tried it again. And again. And again. Soon, she lost herself in an easy rythm.

"I'm Allegro," the girl said, as she observed Xiao-chin's efforts. She didn't have much bellow body strength, so she couldn't help much. She'd only begun boxing recently, so her upper body strength was only average, so she couldn't help by using her fists either. "Xiao-chin," the woman answered, breathing heavily, but without pause in her actions. "Are you Chinese?" Allegro asked, curiously. Xiao-chin nodded in confirmation.

"Oh," Allegro breathed, "That means that there is more than one person who kidnapped us, because I'm pretty sure that someone can't just go from China to Ireland in such a small amount of time. And, I doubt this is in Ireland or China." Xiao-chin clicked her tongue in comprehension, "Huh. Hadn't thought of it that way," she admitted, mostly because she'd expected the other girl to be some tourist or another, that they were being held in China.

"That is bad. This could be more serious than I thought. For example, it sounds like our capturers went for us specifically," Xiao-chin explained, finally giving up on breaking the door down. It bounced, sure, but it simple meant that the wood was flexible and could take a lot of damage, and wouldn't break under pressure like stiff wood would. "Yes, I agree, except I think that it's likelier they were looking for us because of our nationalities," Allegro mused. Xiao-chin returned to the bed, pulling her legs up to her chest. "Yes," she said, and grabbed the blanket to cover herself with.

The door opened a few hours later, though the girls inside of the room weren't aware of the time passed. Allegro had been in the middle of talking about an anecdote, as they had been sharing stories about their lives and stopped abruptly. Xiao-chin, who's back faced the door, took her cue from Allegro's reaction, also quietening down.

Allegro noticed the same blonde man she had been speaking to before appearing in this room. Standing next to him, was a raven-haired man wearing a kimono. He looked sophisticated in an unstated way. His features were also Asian, though his features seemed less sharp than Xiao-chin's, rather soft. He looked like Japan from Hetalia. A cold chill trailed down her back, as she noticed the intense way he was eyeing Xiao-chin, who's back was still turned.

At the back of the two people there was another guy, with sandy blonde hair and artistocratic features which contrasted with his wild, messy hair. He was wearing a dull green uniform. Him, most of all, looked like a nation from Hetalia. Great Britain. This time, the chill that ran down her spine was for her very own sake. His eyes were on her, an intense seaweed green. Xiao-chin twisted around. "Hello," she said, her voice a smooth, fearless tenor, "What are we doing here?"

Allegro, meanwhile, fidgeted and didn't dare meet anyone's eyes. "Yes," she agreed nonetheless at a signal from Xiao-chin, "Also, who are you?" Japan, as Allegro had dubbed the Asian, walked inside. In his hands he balanced two cups on a plate. He placed it onto a cabinet table next to the door. "It is more polite to first tell us your names," he stated, a hint of disapproval in his otherwise monotone voice. His attention was fixed on Xiao-chin, who tossed her hair back and remained stubbornly silent.

"I doubt that manners are honestly what you wish from us," she stated after a five minute stare down. "Tell us, truthfully. Why did you kidnap us?" she stopped, indecisively before continuing something meant particularly for Japan, "What do you want from me?" Allegro remained mute, she was too frightened. She stuck close, huddling at Xiao-chin's side. She felt that much safer with Xiao-chin. There was something about Xiao-chin which made her easy to belief in. "What we want. . . " Britain said, cocking his head to the side. "You wouldn't believe us."

He purposefully sought out Allegro's gaze. "You do not have to worry, Allegro. I won't allow any harm to fall upon you." Allegro flinched and looked at the blonde man beseechingly. She noted almost absently that Xiao-chin's conclusion that they specifically had been kidnapped was true, because he knew her name. How else could he know her name? But the man coldly did not see her. His gaze was kept on his comrades. Almost like Allegro was beneath his notice, or off no concern of his.

The men exchanged glances. "We'll tell you," the monotonous voice assured, "When the time is right. You can see us, until then, as your new caretakers. We'll ensure that you have nutrition, water, books and a roof over your heads. Anything you need to stay alive and marginally unharmed. Of course, this is only if you cooperate with us." This seemed to be especially displeasing to Xiao-chin, it seemed, and Japan noticed. Almost to himself, he spoke, as the three of them turned towards the door, Britain already leaving the room, "There is also a dojo in this room. If you cooperate, the dojo will be yours to do with as you wish."

The door shut soundlessly behind him. "Well, that was quite a bewildering meeting," Xiao-chin said, as she relaxed her tense muscles and laid down onto a pillow, summing it up nicely. Allegro stretched her arms, massaging her stiff shoulders. "At least, from his specific use of 'caretakers,' it seemed that what they kidnapped us for, is probably platonic," she mused, relief obvious. Xiao-chin nodded, a frown etched on her face, "Except, it's a bad sign that they know your name, and what I do for my past time."

Allegro looked like she'd tasted something bad. It was difficult to swallow. "Okay. I'll cooperate, if they don't mean for us to be harmed. Right?" Allegro commented. She fell asleep afterwards. Probably because of stress. Xiao-chin wasn't able to, however. She remained awake, watching over the other. It was the least she could do.

It had been three months since the girls had been kidnapped. Three long, devastatingly boring months. The only thing Xiao-chin could do was sleep, eat, practise her martial arts in the dojo, and read. Allegro was given music lessons from Britain. She'd also influenced Xiao-chin in calling them the nations names. Only in her mind, of course, because it would be too weird otherwise, considering that they were humans and Hetalia didn't exist.

Xiao-chin was mainly around Japan, and considering that Germany was mainly around Japan, she was also often in his presence. Japan was a apathetic creature who seemed overly concerned with things such as honour, pride and good manners. Of course, she'd sarcastically asked him where the honour was in kidnapping a teenager but her taunt didn't gain a reaction. He was as sure of himself as ever. Xiao-chin only got to see Allegro very rarely, but they had developed a very strong bond. Right at this moment, Xiao-chin was brushing Allegro's luxurious hair, that was for once fully out of her customary braid.

"Here, you look simply smashing like this," Xiao-chin said, eyeing the elaborate Chinese hairstyle she had created for the other in appreciation. Japan was reclining against the wall, keeping an eye on them for the day. His lips were pressed in a neutral line. Despite his unemotional face, Xiao-chin surely saw disapproval. Whether because of the frivolous activity or not, Xiao-chin couldn't say. "What? Say straight out what your problem is," she said in a drawl, eyes meeting his. Japan's eyes glinted. "If you must, I have a problem with that hairstyle. It's Chinese, and you may remember that there is political frigidness between Japan and China."

Xiao-chin hummed in comprehension and dismantled Allegro's hairstyle. Instead, she stuck to a more simple one. Allegro was just as happy about it though, which was the more important factor. "Isn't it somewhat about the dispute over ownership over that great island group- what is it called again?" Allegro asked, puffing up her curls and flashing herself a charming grin in the mirror. An unknown emotion flashed over Japan's whole countenance, but it left as suddenly as it came. Who could blame him, if it concerned the country he had always seemed to be proud of?

"It's called Senkaku Islands," Japan said dryly. He smiled, pleased, when Xiao-chin, who had known another name for it as a Chinese girl, didn't refute his claim. She hadn't the right and had never been that much of a nationalist, was what she believed. "Moh, whatever," Allegro deadpanned, before she twisted out of her chair and pushed Xiao-chin into it. Xiao-chin's hair was usually loose, so it only required a brush down.

"Such pretty hair," Allegro informed the other in something close to jealousy. "Not really," Xiao-chin declared, "It's low maintenance, which is pragmatic, but it can't be changed into other hairstyles as easily as yours can, Allegro." The two smiled at each other, pleased with the compliments they'd received, but also pleased that the other was happy. The door opened with a thump from behind them, and in stepped Britain which drastically changed the mood.

He beckoned for Allegro, who looked uncertainly at Xiao-chin. Xiao-chin flashed her a smile, pushing her towards the doorway. "See you later, Allegro," she said, an promise. Allegro nodded her head, keeping her gaze low on the ground instead of fixed on Britain's eyes as she stepped past him in the corridor, an anticipating shudder going down her spine. He led the way to his office, a place she was familiar with. Once there, he bade her to sit on the chair with a hand gesture. Once she'd sat, he poured them both tea from his piping hot kettle. He folded his hands together in front of his mouth after he sat down, supported by his elbows on the desk. She trailed her eyes over the interior, studiously ignoring his gaze.

"This may come as a surprise to you," he said, casually, after taking a sip of his tea, "But you are the human version of a landmass named British Columbia." Allegro blinked, incomprehension just flashing from behind her eyes. "Ex," she began, timidly, "Excuse me?" Because she had probably misheard him. "And," he continued, folding his left leg onto his right, his eyes meeting hers, "I am the representation of the United Kingdom, though I often go by England. In essence, this means that you adhere to me on all grounds." She stared at him, at his smartly suited self, at his bushy eyebrows, at his thin malicious lips, mouth agape. Then, as if a flip had been switched in her brain, she snapped her mouth shut again.

She said, unconsciously obtuse, "I won't believe any of this without any evidence." Britain rolled his eyes, not even hiding the exasperated gesture. He stood up, strolled past his desk, and placed a hand on her wrist, the one that was holding her delicate porcelain china cup. Allegro removed her hand from under his, swallowing thickly, her eyebrows climbing into her fringe. "What was that?" she demanded to know, hiding the fine trembling taking over her body with audacious bravado. "That," Britain said, casually, "Was I hijacking your body to make your nation-sense respond." He returned to his spot behind the desk, with a smug air.

"Nation-sense?" Allegro reiterated, frowning pensively. She was still trembling as an after effect to it, that indescribable feeling of space. She didn't like it, whatever it as. "Yes," Britain said, wiping his face from all expression as he leaned back in his chair, "Nation-sense. It is the sixth sense a nation-being is met with, that brings with it the knowledge of any other nation being in your proximity and what that nation-being's relation to you is." Allegro swallowed once again, compulsory. So that was where that feeling of ownership came from. "And what is your relation to me?" she asked. She had to be sure, though she was feeling the anticipation weighing her down and making her ill to her stomach.

He shifted, his rough cotton sleeve brushing over his knuckles. "I do believe that is obvious, British Columbia." She gasped, her hand coming to her mouth in both outrage and fear. "No! Say it isn't so!" But he would not abide to her will, as he hadn't the whole of their company together. "Say what isn't true, British Columbia?" he teased, though his green eyes stood ice cold and as firm as rock. She shook her head, hand clutching the sides of her forehead. She muttered something that might have been a curse, but was most likely a prayer to no-one in particular. Meanwhile, back in the room, Xiao-chin had sank down onto a cushion and was staring at Japan with inquiring eyes. She did not speak, but her whole being thrummed with anticipation.

It was obvious that Britain had sent for Allegro for some kind of purpose, so it was just as obvious that Japan was meant to stay there with her for that very same reason. She lost her patience the first, adjusting her sit on the cushion. "So?" she remarked and sent him a baleful glare beneath short black lashes. There was a spiteful twist to his lips when he replied. "You spoke of Senkaku Islands, did you not?" he continued before she could come up with something to retort with, "How ironic, as you are that landmass' embodiment." Her brows knitted together in adverse confusion, and she planted a hand on the floor next to her. "That makes not even the slightest bit of sense. Do tell me what you mean with that?" Because if it was what she expected, she was surely fucked so much it wasn't funny.

He gestured with a richly decorated sleeve. "Remember how you call me by the name of a landmass? It's the same for you." Her fingers scraped across the floorboards as she curled her hand into a fist. "That's a lie," she spat in fury, and the look on her face was surely ugly with a mix of denial and her loss of composure. "It can't be true. I would know this, I would!" She was left grasping for straws, but he looked as icily composed as usual and wouldn't look amiss covered in frost. "Are you sure?" he spoke instead, his voice smooth with his usual lack of emotion, like granite or some other inanimate object. "I'm sure!" She assured the other, getting riled up, and she straightened where she sat. "You have kidnapped me! Of course I am sure!"

But her voice broke halfway through and she was left staring at him, eyes heated with both her denial but also her dawning comprehension. He reached out with his hand, the decorated material of his hem shifting, and the gesture was obviously meant to be inviting. It left her cold, and she did not take his hand. His lips twisted in his displeasure and his dull brown eyes frosted over. "Come over here," he asked, but his clipped notes left it more like an order. She turned away from him, crossing her arms, and scoffed her refusal. She wasn't to be cowed by his pretence, by anyone's preteens.

She heard his sigh of exasperation, before there was a creak of the floorboards and them barely audible footsteps as he made his way across to her. "Take my hand," he suggested and this time there was a slight intimidation value to his frame, to their closeness. She closed her eyes, counted to ten, and then reopened them. There was a stubborn set to her jaw that told him all he needed to know. She could only thank all the deities in the universe that he did not decide to take measures against her rebellion. Instead, he took one unreadable look of her and then he'd turned his back and was making his way back towards the door.

He paused at the doorway, his hand hovering over the doorknob. "Your friend," he softly commented, "Will not return to this room. If you want to know the whereabouts of her new quarters, you know what to do." He shut the door behind him with an air of finality. Her body immediately relaxed and she slumped where she sat, rubbing her nose. "Great," she groaned and buried her face in her hands.

* * *

><p>AN This chapter was for once about my normal length. Anyways, as you can see, this is somewhat of a deconstruct on the popular OC-is-actually-a-nation! trope. No worries - it's just going to spiral down from here! Hahahaha!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: don't own.

Chapter two.

And indeed, though she waited, the rest of the evening was spent on her lonesome. She was in the checkered patterned kitchen, idly leaning against the wood lined wall. She observed Germany, who was busy reading a newspaper, blank expression seemingly carved out of marble and white hair as perfectly combed back as ever. She planted a hand onto the side of a cabinet. "Say, can you tell me where Kiku is?" The German took a hold of his glass and stared in it's golden depths thoughtfully. Xiao-chin found herself bristling as she was utterly ignored.

She spoke again, louder this time. "Can you tell me where Japan is?" Finally, the nation folded his newspaper and turned to face her, his impersonal eyes analysing her where she stood. "He is in a meeting with China. He won't be here for a while." His part done, he took a small sip from his beer and diverted his attention elsewhere. Xiao-chin moved her hand from the cabinet, to bury it in her hair. Yes, ever since that day, she'd given up on denial; and this had been the result. Germany would only listen to her if she addressed him and others by their 'proper' names. Japan would do so too, but it was less humiliating when he did it, for some reason. She hadn't yet willingly touched the other, though. Xiao-chin pulled at her hair, an expression of the great stress she was under. She hadn't seen Allegro since then, though, so this wouldn't last.

Germany finished his drink and left the room soon after. It was only a minute later that she realized that she'd been left alone without supervision. Her eyes lit up as she pushed herself away from the wall, before they dulled in remembrance. Allegro was still here. She couldn't leave. She released a gush of air and collapsed on a chair underneath the island. They had her thoroughly cornered. She waited there for over an hour, feeling quite unmotivated to do anything, before Japan arrived. He swept into the room, and the dark expression on his face which much like an incoming thunderclap.

"Pack your things," he suggested tersely, and there was actual feeling in his chestnut eyes. "You're going to stay in China for a while." She glanced down, the eye-contact was just too intense, before shuffling out of her room and doing as she was told. Her thoughts were going rampart inside of her head, and felt a lot like she was chasing her own tail. A moment later, she stood in the hallway with all of her clothes and a marginal amount of other belongings she had packed inside two trolleys. She didn't have much - she probably couldn't even call ownership on what she did - and stared down woefully at her possessions.

"You will be seeing me soon," Japan said as he ushered the other out of the door and into the front garden, and it was a promise. She obligingly raised her gaze to connect with his, filtering out most of her own emotion, as she was met with an equally blank mask. She didn't want to say her farewells - growing fond of someone who'd made her feel so powerless had never been on her grocery list. All the same though, Japan was familiar, she was used to him. To be shipped of towards someone new, and this sudden, was frightening. Her lips thinned as she entered the car and Japan didn't follow, and ripped her gaze away to refocus on the driver.

This, obviously, had to be China. She examined him from the safety of the backseat. The nation had long straight hair, tied up over his shoulder in a ponytail. The nation had a slender neck, and a clear complexion along with perfectly tanned skin. So, in a nutshell, the nation looked like Japan from the back, except more feminine. This impression of hers was shattered when the nation glanced over his shoulder at her and she was given a better look of the defined features of his face, the olive shape of his eyes. He looked much more striking than the bland, bland appearance of Japan that she had gotten used to. He was more expressive, too - his lips curved and his hazel eyes with them at the way her face lit up in pleasant surprise.

"Japan is a bit too stern sometimes," the nation stated with a secretive smile and a warm glint in his hazel eyes. He laughed as her face contorted in surprise, and his chuckle was surprisingly pleasant - not deep, but not too high either. He wagged his finger, the other holding onto his steering wheel, mock scolding her. "Not all of us nations are like that, okay?" Xiao-chin couldn't look away, basking in the approval and utter acknowledgement this person simply beamed. She wasn't used to such openness, certainly not when around Germany and Japan twenty-four/seven.

Britain she saw only rarely, and she knew of him only from Allegro's describing. Speaking of which, she made herself ask the other. "Do you know about Allegro? Ah, I mean, British Columbia?" The other thrummed his fingers against the steering wheel, hazel eyes glazing over in thought. Finally, he snapped his finger. "Isn't that Britain's recent ward?" Xiao-chin didn't manage to stop her cringe at the title the other had been awarded, and her reaction was picked up upon by sharp eyes. "Is she someone you know?" She fervently nodded, eyes gleaming oddly as China started the engine with a twist of the car key. "She's a friend of mine, but I haven't seen her for a while."

She gestured helplessly. "Do you know how she's doing? Has she been treated well?" God forbid she hadn't, though even if Britain was mistreating her, Xiao-chin wasn't at the opportunity to do anything about it. Her face fell at the reminder, once bright eyes going despondent. "Not exactly," China replied with a careless flip of his hair. Xiao-chin closed her eyes. Her heart practically broke. A chipper China subsequently changed the subject. Was he just oblivious, or was he too as spiteful and harsh as any other nation she'd come across?

She hugged herself by her midriff and stayed silent through the entire ride. Then they went from a car to a plane, and finally, they took a taxi to China's house. "This is more like a mansion," Xiao-chin remarked, arching her chin back as she looked around. The whole foyer had a traditional air to it, priceless vases and other antiques lining the walls. She almost tripped over her feet as she angled her head so she could leer at everything. There was an amused quirk to China's lips as he guided her through the winding corridors and into a large, airy space, the only furniture a low sitting table and a pair of luxurious cushions at either side of it.

He'd prepared for her arrival, then. She sank down onto her knees willingly enough and breathed in the fresh Chinese air breezing into the room. A section of the wall had been slid open to the outdoors and she could smell the pungent aroma of peonies. It tasted of nostalgia. China seemed to realize that, as his grin broadened to encompass his whole face. "Welcome home," he said, and that was that.

Back in the Japanese pent house, Allegro was starting to lose her temper. "Where is Xiao-chin?" she gritted through a clenched jaw. "Answer me!" She'd been allowed to see the girl if she did as Britain asked, but now that she was here, she couldn't find her friend anywhere. What was up with that? Britain looked at her from where he was leaning, ever so casually, against the billiard table. With infinite patience, he allowed her to rail against him, before finally deciding to explain.

"She's gone off with China." Allegro made a strangled sound. "And what is that supposed to mean? And, also, you made that sound like she got hitched! No, just no." The nation rolled his eyes skyward as if begging for divine intervention, or patience perhaps. "Japan's claim over Senkaku Islands has been disputed; more so than it already was." He explained, enunciating it all very slowly like she was some dumb animal that could not understand him without having it spelled out. "I knew that," Allegro snapped, wrapping her arms around her torso protectively. He bit back whatever else he was going to say at her blatant insecurity and pinched bridge of his nose to ward of a headache.

He was the reason for her increasing sense of shame and yet he acted like he was the one out of the two them who was suffering. Disgusting. She turned her back to him. "Will - will she return anytime soon?" she questioned because she understood that Britain and China didn't have the sort of relationship that would allow them to visit. He shrugged, a slight lift of lean shoulders underneath a plain green dress shirt. "We'll see," he commented non-noncommittally.

He bent over the pool table, aiming his stick just so. "Will she be brought along to any meetings like I am, do you think?" she asked over the hollow sounds of the balls colliding. He looked over at her over the fine wooden stick, his expression as flat as could be. "What do you think?" he asked her, his tone rhetorical. She glared up at him fiercely from behind green stained eyes. "...no." He smiled, pleased. She sighed, tearing her eyes away.

Then she would have to make it so. First off, when Britain brought her to the next summit meeting, she would have to corner China somehow and bargain with him. This wouldn't be easy - Britain and his cronies tended to keep an eye on her at all times. Still, she couldn't just let it go without at least trying. . . .! She couldn't just resign herself to life in that way. . . .! When it was her turn to take a shot, she did so with ill humour.

Back in China, Xiao-chin was getting used to being back in her own country, her own culture. She was also getting used to the nation himself, who was particularly demanding and had also ruled that she was not to go back and see her family. Not even a glimpse. She'd been going out of her way to avoid him ever since, in case of a particularly embarrassing blow up. So she had endured it all stoically, finding, to her frustration, that she was missing the nations she had come to know. Familiarity breed contempt, and considering she came from China, that was familiar indeed.

She was at the study, supporting herself up only by two of the legs of the chair. "So, you want to come with me at the meeting?" China questioned, just for confirmation's sake. She drummed her fingers against the surface of the black oaken desk, looking to the side as if to avoid his penetrating gaze. ". . . If that is possible." Maybe she would be able to see her friend again. He smiled, and it was so sudden that she jolted, ending up banging her knee against the side of the desk. She hissed her pain through gritted teeth.

"That's alright then. It would be good if I could introduce you to some people. You'll dress smartly?" She nodded her assent. He turned his back on her to tend to the stirfry, signifying that the discussion was over. Well, at least she would be able to see her friend, after all this time. Her opinion of China had gone up again. Smiling carefully to herself, she made to leave the kitchen and enter the lounge.

Time sped up and so did her anticipation, until it was Friday and the day of the summit meeting. Xiao-chin was thrumming with excitement, which China seemed amused about. "You go and take a shower," he suggested, thumbing through a stack of official looking documents. He'd changed into an official military outfit which showcased his rank as general and had been ironed to perfection. He'd already had his shower when he woke up, which was at seven o'clock in the morning even though the summit took place in the afternoon.

"Yes," she answered, already turning towards the staircase. She found herself in the shower five minutes later, and once done, blowdried her hair and regarded her closet with eyes narrowed in concentrated focus. What would be 'smart?' What would China bequeath as 'suitable?' Eventually, she deemed that wearing a Chinese outfit would probably be best, so a qipao or cheongsam was what she was going to wear. Usually, for comfort and glamours' sake, she wore western clothing, so this would show China she was making an effort.

When she made her way down the stairs and into the hallway, he took one look of her and his lips curved in pleased delight. Still, even then, he thought she wasn't yet fully equipped, telling her to fetch a cardigan to wear for if it was cold, and to simply carry it with her if it wasn't. Sighing to herself, Xiao-chin did as she was told, finding a cream cardigan inside the drawers of her dresser and returning back downstairs.

They settled inside the car, and Heong was the chauffeur. "What topics do you usually discuss about during the summit?" Xiao-chin asked, arm curled beneath her chin, knuckles supporting her head.  
>"World peace," he said with a meaningful shrug of thin and bony shoulders. "Sanctions, and the like. It won't be very interesting for you, since you won't be able to join in on the arguing." Mainly because she wouldn't have a clue about governing since she was still underneath China's wing and owed sovereignty to him, for so long as he was able to refute Japan's claim.<p>

Heong scoffed from the front seat, but was otherwise silent. When he pulled over, they left the car to go into an airplane instead, since they were going to cross continents. "Where is the summit usually held?" Xiao-chin questioned, angling her head sideways so she could look out of the window at all the clouds they speared through.  
>"Belgium, since that's neutral territory," she was answered in a smooth, confident tenor.<p>

She focused her gaze outside again.

The plane landed, and the three of them filtered out of the private airport. While walking towards the exit, the group came across some others, whom China seemed to know. He greeted the tall, stocky built man with a warm smile, before glancing back Xiao-chin's way, hooking an arm around the crook of her elbow. "Ivan, this is Diaoyu - or Xiao-chin. Xiao-chin, this is Russia." Xiao-chin inclined her head at the introduction. Next, she met with a few others as well. A Nordic country, but mainly East European ones, as well as other Asian nations.

A/n not as long as usual, but what can you do.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: don't own.

Chapter three.

One of the things China thought most important was to keep up public relations with his neighbours.

Once there, she was made to sit next to China in her uncomfortable qipao and wait for everyone to arrive. She perked up at Britain's entrance, before slouching in her seat again when she noticed Allegro's distinct lack of presence. She released a heaving sigh, crossing her arms together on the table stretching across the emptiness of the floor, and pressed her cheek against them. Her feet swung restlessly beneath her seat, since she was a bit too short to meet the ground. Hong Kong, or Heong took his seat next to her once he was done exchanging pleasantries with South Korea, who was also there for an inexplicable reason. It made Xiao-chin narrow her eyes and wonder what this meeting was truly going to be about, with such a ragtag group of nations who had almost nothing in common.

She stiffened up when she felt eyes burning into her back. She knew perfectly well who that was, since the feeling it gave of was exactly the mix of exciting nausea she'd been harbouring earlier, when he'd made her pack her thing and leave with the nation who was now her caretaker. She squirmed fitfully in her chair and caught South Korea's concerned attention. "Are you alright, Diaoyu?" He questioned, apparently not someone who preferred non-nation names. Something seemed to occur to him. "If you want, we could swap seats, daze." He sent China, who was discussing something with Russia, a sly look. There was still the possibility that Allegro would tag along with the UK, one of these days, so she shook her head. She had to be on her best behaviour.

"Aww," he pouted. "Why not? You could always swap seats with Hong Kong…. He's always willing to swap with me." A crafty little grin attached itself to his face when she turned to give Heong a considering look. It would mean having him as a barrier between her and Japan's gaze, since it came from the right, and it wouldn't mean she'd be completely away from China. Surely the nation would agree? She parted her lips, about to ask, when Heong shook his head. "China….wouldn't want," he commented softly whilst inclining his head in South Korea's direction. "China….is busy negotiating." He pressed his finger to his lips in the universal agreed signal for her to hush. Xiao-chin kicked the ground beneath her and slouched down into her seat. Well, there went that idea.

As she trailed her eyes over the hall, conspicuously avoiding Japan's eyes, she noticed two brothers walking in, one of them holding an honest to god polar bear cub in his arms. That wasn't what drew her attention, though. No siree. Instead, it was the sight of Allegro talking to one of those brothers, before all three of them made a beeline towards Britain who sat at the other end of the table. Xiao-chin allowed herself a peek despite that being the direction where she could feel Japan's gaze coming from.

She brightened up, sitting up in her chair to draw the other's attention. She even waved, when China handily caught her wrist and made her lower it. "Watch were you're moving that thing," he wagged his index finger in disapproval. She may have waved it a bit ostensibly, but that was because the woman whom she'd arrived there for had shown up. It was only natural. Nevertheless, Allegro had noticed her from her actions and had also brightened up in turn. Xiao-chin could have kicked herself when she found herself locking eyes with Japan, who happened to be sitting near those two since he had better relations with Westerners than his neighbours. He averted his gaze when he found her looking back, so apparently he knew how creepy his actions were, he just didn't care when she wasn't staring him right in the face.

The rest of the meeting quickly took place, with only a few of the nations taking notes from what was being said. America was a key speaker, as well as India, and the UK. Last but not least, the Netherlands took to the stand to praise living green and wind mills and what not. That was before the mood completely darkened as the topic of what to do about ISIS and the Boku Haram was launched. Both France and US were most outspoken in their belief for harsher methods of security to be deployed about border control as well as the UK about keeping a watch on the list of possible terrorists.

Xiao-chin squirmed, feeling uncomfortable with the subject. It didn't seem to touch China much, or at all really. Probably because the country hadn't exactly found itself that plagued by both groups, unlike his European counterparts. More importantly, that reminded Xiao-chin that she was basically a prisoner in China's possession, no matter how well treated. It was more like how a person would treat their well-trained pet, which was to reward them if they were good and obeyed their owner's orders and punish them if they didn't.

Finally, she stood up abruptly with her limbs drawn to herself, and drew all the attention. The Netherlands stopped in his story about the teen who'd been saved by her mother to stare at her, and others followed his example. Japan flushed a bright red, almost like a severe case of second case embarrassment and she remembered belatedly what he had told her a while ago. What she did would rub off on him and vice versa, even if she was now still in China's custody. China seemed that much more understanding. "It's alright, you can leave for a bit for now. Do you want me to come with?" It must be because he knew as she still though herself human, it was difficult to listen to human atrocities being discussed in such a frank manner. She allowed him the assumption.

"I'd rather take a breath of fresh air on my own, please." China cocked his head, before giving her his permission - she couldn't even leave on her own - and she left the hall behind her. This would have been a good idea to flee, except the same thing as always held her back. Allegro wasn't there and she couldn't leave without the other, not until she was sure the woman was safe. She knew, from the history books she'd read, that Britain used to treat his colonies like shite. Not as bad as Spain, of course, but maybe the complete degradation of a nation's individual self could be said to be worse, depending on the person you were. And Allegro was so fragile.

She leaned flat against the window, which stretched at least the perimeter of the wall. She could see people outside, and be seen in turn. There were guards standing at the entrance to the building as well as patrolling the car park and the building itself. She kicked at the floor beneath her, skin wrinkling underneath her eye brows as she frowned. She was sure that with her power, she would be able to fight her way out of there, if any tried to stop her... but there was still Allegro to think about. Allegro Allegro Allegro... the Irish girl might possibly be the death of her, but it would be a death without any regret. To leave a comrade behind in enemy territory ... she wasn't that kind of woman.

Meanwhile, as she was thinking about Allegro, Allegro was thinking about her. She sat next to the North American brothers, ignoring the semi-transparent Canada and listening to the US' hilarious commentary. The nation had arrived at Britain's house, were both of them took the same flight to Belgium. She'd been meek and un-talkative at first, as she was before she crawled out of her shell, but his kind nature had quickly put her at ease. She tended to only show her more forcible side towards people she knew better, like Britain, so he had yet to really notice that aspect of her.

She was also keeping it suppressed, since it had dawned upon her on her way to the car bringing them to the summit from the airport, that she could use this. She could use America's obvious infatuation with her as a fellow sufferer under Britain's rule. So she interacted with as many people as she could, but mainly with those that she remembered held a slight hint of dislike towards England, in the hopes it would help her cause. She still didn't want to believe she was a nation now, and was planning on ensconcing herself somewhere safe and away from the nation and life out a normal human life. She certainly didn't have alliances or independence or anything nation-like in mind.

To do that, she needed to make sure that other people wanted her to have such a life, which meant underplaying her nation-state and ensuring that she struck as many burgeoning friendships as she could. She had to play the underdog and keep it cool, keep herself as friendly and harmless and non-competitive as possible, or they'd only notice her nation-self rather than her, Allegro. She'd already interacted with the nation of France, who'd held onto her hands at her story and promised very solemnly to visit every other evening to help with the cooking. It helped that Britain had bristled at the offer, obviously displeased, which seemed to delight the Frenchman.

Speaking of strange relationships, the one Britain and America held was definitely weird. America seemed the only one who could get Britain flustered, and he acted the fool, but Allegro had been able to sense true malicious schadenfreude underneath it. He was kind, yes, but he seemed to have it out for Britain. That wasn't the whole story, though. Allegro had been able to notice that Britain knew America was playing the fool, but that he seemed unable or unwilling to call him out on it. He also struck back with about as much vitriol, which America had laughed off, but it was obvious he was affected. The two of them knew they weren't honestly friends, but they acted the part and were unwilling to give it up. How peculiar.

When Xiao-chin made a scene, she at first wanted to comfort her friend, but America and Britain's gaze on her had convinced her otherwise. Instead, she kept where she was, hand folded properly over her lap as the topic was switched to something lighthearted like wind mills and green energy and recycling. Germany was the second person to stand and hold a speech espousing it, and she could see from the other side of the table China scoffing and most nations bowing over their notes, some sleeping, others sketching drawings of nothing in particular.

It was disturbing how little the nations cared for something as important as the environment. It was the descendants of their people who had to deal with it once the climate became more extreme and the planet less unlivable, and yet they acted like there was nothing to it. It only showed how selfish a nation truly had to be, to be who they are and not grow insane with the paradoxical force of their nature. Allegro lowered her gaze to stare unseeing at her own lap. That's why she couldn't be a nation, and Xiao-chin either. It'd only end in tears and regret.

Finally, the summit was done with or at least the speaking bit was. The nations segmented themselves in cliques, people chatting with one another or making arrangements to talk business now that they were near anyway, for convenience's sake. "I'm going to check on Xiao-chin," she murmured into America's ear. "Want to come with?" Since Xiao-chin had made a scene, her friendship with the girl would only enforce the idea that the two of them were humans and not nations and as such, harmlessly pitiable.  
>"What do you say, bro?" America commented to his brother. Canada begged of with the excuse that he had a business transaction with Britain to attend.<p>

And so, the two of them left the hall to wander the through the hallways. They found her sitting across of one of the open-walled windows, staring at nothing in particular with her fists clenched. Allegro sat herself down next to the girl, causing her to look up. Hope lit her eyes at once, before America made to sit at the other side of the window sill. Xiao-chin sagged and punched the ground, frustrated. "Are you alright? Is there anything I can do?" Allegro asked, because anything else would have to wait until America wasn't there. "America, this is Xiao-chin." The other inclined her head in greeting, and was taken aback when America grabbed her head an exuberantly shook it despite her given out all the signals that she didn't want to be touched.

"Uh," she stuttered, her usual people skills taking a backseat to her confusion. "America is a good guy," Allegro explained with a pat on the other's shoulder. America grinned at her words: he seemed a bit of a compliment whore. Maybe that was the deal between him and Britain, who tended more towards sarcasm than praise? Well, it didn't matter, in any case. "He might be able to convince Britain to let us see each other more. How about China? Would he be alright to you leaving the estate now and then for friendship's sake?" She threw in friendship because America was a big fan of that pony franchise. It would only help them if America believed she only wanted to meet the other because it'd make them both happy, rather than helping them congregate their escape plans.

"Leave it to me," America said with a thumbs up. "Britain seems like a miser, but even he has a soft spot deep inside! I'll use a spork to get to it." ...Disturbing. Allegro kept herself carefully neutral, but she could help sidling closer to Xiao-chin, who did the same for her though obviously more to act as her shield than to be shielded. Before the discussion could continue from there, China called for the girl from at the arched exit of the building leading to the parking lot. Xiao-chin sent him a look of unease, before heaving a sigh and pulling Allegro towards her in a full-bodied hug. She patted Allegro's back, whispering to her: "Look out for yourself." Xiao-chin subsequently withdrew as Heong entered the hallway see what was keeping her.

The two waved at her as she left.

"Ivan and I are catching dinner at the local seafood restaurant," China announced once she was outside. "Do you have any allergies I should be concerned about?" He was a bit more thoughtful than Japan, but she was fairly sure he already knew her complete profile, so asking it was unnecessary. "A certain type of penicillin, I'd say, but I don't think I'm allergic to any food. Of course, that could have changed since I have heard about allergies appearing once you enter your twenties..." she trailed off, shaking her head to rid herself of the tangent. She was rambling because that Ivan was making her reaallly nervous.

"That's good, then we can all eat," China clapped his hands, suddenly cheerful for some reason. Oh. Had she passed some kind of test? Heong brought the car towards their section of the road, and all three of them entered. They reached their destination within ten minutes. They could have just walked, but nations were too good for that. Their carbon footprint must be enormous. Xiao-chin bounced on the back of her heels, restless, until they were given a seat at a very good spot near the back of the restaurant. There were also advantages to being a nation, like the fact that they were now VIPs.

Ivan ordered for her. "You should eat a lot, so you'll grow strong," he gave his excuse. Xiao-chin stared at the unfamiliar meals written on the back of the menu. She could speak English and write English, sure, but French or Dutch was a bit beyond her. "I am pretty strong already," she commented and made a fist as she bent her arm. She was quite lean for a woman, and a short one at that. It's because of all those hours martial arts practice, though she'd never actually had the chance to use what she had learned in an uncontrolled sitting. The two nation smiled at one another, indulgent in the way you'd be to a particular thoughtless toddler.

A/N sheesh Chinese foreign relations are too confusing. For now, let's say he's buddies with both Ivan and India and people from what was once the eastern block as well as trying to befriend other Asian countries, mkay? Except for Japan, the relations of which have cooled down again because said country is ignoring the atrocities it committed in the Rape of Nanking. Trying to be realistic is such a hassle! Also, British Columbia is a Canadian province, but act as if it's not, mkay? In other news, I really like it that you people have favourited this story of mine :) I can only ask you if maybe you'll review as well? I'd like to know which girl and/or nation should take prevalence where screen-time is involved. Pretty please?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Chapter fifteen.

"More importantly, Diaoyu," China began, and it couldn't be a good sign that he used the name he had for the nation she supposedly represented. "About your islands. It's mainly uninhabited for now, but I was thinking maybe you'd like some citizens to look after?" Wow, it actually sounded like he was after her for permission. Xiao-chin leaned an elbow on the table, cocking her head as she went deep in thought. Naturally, her natural instincts were to deny, deny and deny that he even had the right to ship people over who could adversely affect her in any way. This nation thing-she didn't exactly know the rules. "Let's not," she decided to take a chance and voice what was on her mind.

His smile became edgier, sharp. "Is that really what you want, or is it Japan and his influence over you?" her eyes widened and she fell back into her chair, elbow slipping. "Of course not, that's my own opinion! And only!" but he had come to his own conclusions and would not be swayed by her any longer. He turned to Ivan instead, a rather ugly look painted over his face.  
>"We'll have to do something about that soon, won't we?"<p>

Xiao-chin clenched the tablecloth in her fist, silently seething at not being taken at her word. "I don't even like Japan. I'm a national born Chinese citizen, you know," she muttered into that same tablecloth. since the end result - of her being ignored - was the same either way, even if she did address the sentence at China. She looked around the restaurant, because maybe Allegro had been able to convince that prickly jerk into bringing her there. Then, they'd be able to rendezvous and Xiao-chin would be able to set an escape plan in motion.

"Where's Heong?" she finally commented, since she hadn't noticed him since exiting the car. China blinked, before gesturing dismissively with a shrug of one arm. "Ah, he'll be here soon. He's busy chatting with Thailand the street over." He hadn't even needed to check with the nation: apparently he just immediately knew that. Would that be the same for Allegro and her? "Did he tell you that before parking?" she questioned, just to be sure. China shook his head, sliding a strand of his brown hair behind his ear. "No."

"China," Ivan addressed, drawing the nation's attention back to him. "What did you want me to do with Japan? ...and what would you be willing to lose for it?"  
>China leaned into the wooden back of his chair, "That's obvious, Ivan. I'll kick the USA from the Kubat, the island being rented as a military base. You can use it instead, at lower pay." Xiao-chin kicked her legs back and forwards, beneath the table. She rested with her knuckles against her cheeks, before asking whether she could possibly go join Heong, wherever he was.<p>

China looked over his shoulder to her at that. "Oh, sure. Just make sure you take care on your way there." He waved her off. It was obviously that her more submissive actions towards China when she began living there had paid off. He may not think she had the jurisdiction to make her own choices just yet - or ever, if he'd always misinterpret them as Japan's - but she'd gained enough trust that he didn't think a second about letting her run on her own. That, or he'd been in conversation with any of the nations who were there at her kidnapping to know she wouldn't go without Allegro there too.

She lifted herself from her chair and practically skipped out onto the pavement at the side of the road. Once outside, she felt an invisible weight leave her shoulders until they were no longer slumped. The unfamiliar streets of Belgium met her eye. She hadn't even been told where in Belgium she actually was, except that this was the place where they'd attend the summit meeting. She peeked inside several shops in the area, considering this was an opportunity that, despite coming from unfortunate circumstances, Xiao-chin could not dismiss.

Speaking of Belgium, there was something wrong with the ground. It wasn't so much as the street, but just wherever she walked - it kind of felt like it was vibrating beneath her toes. It was like a very weak magnetic force was trying to repel her from the earth's crust - or maybe Belgium's crust in particular, considering she had had no problems in China or Japan. So that would be like negative forces repelling one another? Xiao-chin shook her head at the idea. She was among nations too much, now she was starting to think like them. Besides, it could very well be that there was a low rate earthquake taking place right at that moment. Right.

The architecture was quite different from what she was used to as well, but that was nice. She admired a row of housing before going off towards the alleyway that would lead her the street over where Heong was. If China was somehow aware of the other's whereabouts and actions then it'd be best not to alarm him by not turning up like she was supposed to. There was the possibility that China could somehow know those things about her too, but Xiao-chin wasn't willing to go down that road. If only to keep her sense of composure.

She was just rounding the corner when bumping into someone, splashing their coffee all over herself. She barely blinked at the heat seeping into her slacks, since for some reason or another, the coffee didn't seem to have been at a high temperature. The one she had bumped into was a girl wearing a handkerchief shawl around her neck. It was silver in colour, and sparkled in the light of the sun. Coming to stand next to her was a very tall man. "Oh my god, het spijt me zeer." She brought out the corner of her shawl. "Hier, laat mij het schoonmaken voor je." Xiao-chin took a step backwards, holding her palm up in a gesture meant to ward them off. The tall man gestured for her to come along. "We zullen je tenminste wat kleren geven die je aan kan zo lang de jouwe nat zijn."

As she was ushered towards an apartment above the bakery store, she muttered: "But I shouldn't even be able to understand..." Her voice was beginning to edge towards hysteria. "Pardon?" the girl asked in response, seeming surprised. Well, at least it didn't translate her own words in their language. That would have been too far fetched. "Nothing, nevermind," Xiao-chin dismissed. "I'm not coming along, if you can speak English." Blank faces met her gaze and she sighed. So she decided to turn her back to them and walk away.

The impact of his elbow against her spine made her squeeze out a gasp, but it was more of surprise than anything. Xiao-chin turned around, pushing him backwards with her leg. The two Belgians, once eager to help, seemed to have _changed. _There was something wild in their gazes, and their pupils had dilated to submerge their iris in pitch blank. Xiao-chin immediately straightened herself into a stance that would easier accept offensive attacks, getting ready in the nick of time before the girl tried her luck. She used her purse, which was actually heavy, to try and bat her around the head. She had only to nimbly bounce back to avoid it. Since she was a martial artist, she could do a lot of damage, so for now, she was planning on defending herself only.

"Xiao-chin," a voice distracted her and she flashed a look at the entrance of the alleyway, where she could see Heong and some other guy, probably Thailand. "Oh, new sister is in trouble, ana~" Thailand mused as Heong ran over to grab her by the shoulders and whisk her away.  
>"They just freaked, I don't even know," she explained hastily as they ran over the pavement, before they thought she had done something to those two. "Also, ana? What is that even? You're not Deidara, you know."<p>

"A Thailand thing," Heong suggested, before stopping at the lamp at the corner leading out of the street. "We know...isn't your fault." He was obviously indicating the situation he'd helped her out. She frowned, eyes flickering.  
>"Then, why?" It was Thailand who answered this question of hers.<br>"A nation's citizen tends to be attracted to nations, even those that aren't theirs. It's because they sense themselves in us, ana~. The repulsive and great. Anything can trigger, and turn them either hostile or nice, ana~"

Xiao-chin rubbed her chin with her thumb. "Hmm." They had been strangely nice at first, before they had done an complete one-eighty turn. She blinked as Thailand suddenly stepped into her personal space, scanning her from top to toe. "You don't seem injured, ana~" he mused to himself before flashing her a thumbs up. "As nations, we're all very strong." So that was basically a hint that not everything that had changed since she found out she was a nation was good or bad. Speaking of which, she could remember the bullies at her school and their viciousness, which those citizens had echoed completely. It was for that reason that she'd joined martial arts - that, and because she liked to move her body, strengthen herself. Had that been for the same reason?

"Let's go...teach you more about nations on the way," Heong told her as she pushed at Thailand's chest to get him away from her. Her ears perked, and she sent him a doubtful glance, before shrugging her lean shoulders.  
>"As long as you do so without infringing on my personal space, sure, be my guest." Thailand took the hint, taking his place next to Heong instead. The two of them began on a discussion on what she would have to look out for, as Diaoyutai. She supposed that these two were alright, for nations.<p>

* * *

><p>"That was abrupt," America commented, rubbing the back of his head. They were still in the hallway that Xiao-chin had just exited. "Let's go see whether Canada and Britain are done yet." Allegro was pretty sure, from the glint in his eye, that he was simply planning to spy on those two. Either that, or he wanted to annoy Britain again. That was fine with her. Minutes later found them searching the other rooms inside the summit building for the two of them. They seemed mainly office rooms, and deserted, though there were signs of use on the computers and surrounding areas. Finally, they did find the room the two nations were using.<p>

"America, Allegro," England greeted them cordially. The polar bear in Canada's grasp tilted it's head to the side. "Who is that?" is what he asked. The polar bear talked! It could talk! Allegro immediately changed her impression of the animal, which beforehand had been pretty low. With a trembling finger, she asked them how it could talk, exactly, because otherwise it would be nagging at her all day.  
>"Kumajirou is Kumajirou. That's all there is to it," Canada noted with a wise nod of his head. He brushed his hand over the creature's fur.<p>

"What were ya talking about?" America commented as he brushed the side of the doorframe, wrinkling his nose at the cloud of dust that rose. Allegro immediately sneezed, before Britain gestured for her to come nearer to him so he could hand her a handkerchief he happened to have at hand. Wow, old fashioned much? "Economics. Something you should also be bothering about, rather than spending so much money on your collection of giant robots allegedly for use of defense," Britain replied once she thanked him for the hanky and blew her nose.

"And your emergency supply of tea?" America asked as his eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Hypocrite," he accused. Here Britain smirked, rather unkindly, and wagged his finger like at a child.  
>"Ah, but I was clever enough to think of making that a separate fund. My people know about my supply, which is completely different from the tax money your diverting for your collection." It was sad, but America had no rebuttal to spare, instead attempting to drag his brother in the argument.<p>

Canada hefted his hands in the air without letting his polar bear fall from his lap: "That's none of my business, Alfie." He winked at a wide-eyed Allegro, before pulling the bear back into his arms and taking a step away from his chair and closer to the hallway. Britain spared him a formal handshake before he swept away from the room. "Wasn't France going to make dinner tonight," America suddenly remembered. He ignored Britain's protest that that was meant only for him and Allegro, basically inviting himself along. He slung an arm over England's shoulders, telling him that: "You know you love me, I'm like the highlight of your day," before laughing obnoxiously and steering them out of the building.

France was apparently already waiting for them at the parking lot, as he waved at them and ended his conversation with someone Allegro knew was a simple citizen rather than a nation-tan. "Bonsoir, mon cher, mon chou," he sent both of the nations beside her air kisses which had Britain skidding to the side in an attempt to avoid them (though they didn't even have corporal form.) He then let his gaze land on her, who dropped her gaze to the concrete of the lot. His smile widened, his eyes softened. "'Bonsoir, Allegro." Once they were close enough, as was French custom, he kissed her by both of cheeks. She knew she was expecting to reconcile, but felt too caught of guard to do so.

France then turned to England. "What do you have stocked up in your kitchen?" he asked, a bit impatiently. Britain sniffed as if insulted in the other's doubt of him, and he replied, obviously reluctant: "A can of baked beans and sweetcorn, a loaf of bread, some rice and a bottle of soy sauce..." which obviously wouldn't do, if the way France eyed him with disgust said anything. "Non, mon ami, we need to do shopping or I will not set foot in that kitchen." Without even waiting on a response, he turned on his heel to walk towards the high street. He was abrupt, that France.

Once they entered a shop that met France' high expectations, the way they greeted the cashier behind the till was very different. For one, France said a quick hello, or 'bonjour,' while the other nations straight up ignored him. Was that because France had a better relationship with non-nations in general? If so, was that something she could use? Since she said she'd like something simple, he decided a pasta would do and gathered together the appropriate ingredients which he then made England pay for.

* * *

><p>An you know what? Languages are great, they're good. sweet. nice. cool. great! I often do research on them, alongside my research on manners in other countries, and they're all so diverse and interesting! Almost makes me want to become the sort of person who travels the world for my job, so I'd be able to use all this interesting information. For now, the information is simply taking up space that could have been used towards my studies instead, ehehehe. Also, the concept of 'face,' in Asian countries is fascinating: mainly because all the things that make you lose face is stuff I really hate too. I always thought it was just me being prideful, but maybe I was Asian in a previous life? If so, I'd like to be have been from Thailand, please! ...if they even have that concept there?


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Chapter five.

"So having Chinese citizens on my soil would affect me?" Xiao-chin reiterated in disbelief. That had been exactly what she was afraid for. They were making their way back to the restaurant after having wandered off for quite a few blocks. "So it would be the same if Japan decided on it, wouldn't it?" That meant she couldn't go to him for help, either, not that the idea had seemed particularly appealing in the first place. "Hey, you two have quite a bit of influence on China, right?" They exchanged looks, and she went stubbornly further: "So then you could convince him otherwise!"

Heong shook his head, his hair shifting in the breeze. "China does what China wants. Even if we intervened...wouldn't listen." She gnawed on the bone of her thumb, hiking her shoulders in. "What about you Thailand? Do you think it's useless from the start, too?"  
>"China would think we're trying to instigate something, ana~ Heong is telling the truth." She let her head drop, crestfallen. It was obvious that her protests would not be heard, either, and if China wouldn't listen to any of his allies, then honestly, what was there left for her?<p>

She shook herself from her revelry: she wouldn't fall into despair when there was still the chance that she could book it before any of the changes were implemented. She patted her cheeks to regain her colour from the pasty shade it had probably turned into. "What about the US? Wasn't the US a colony with citizens from various nations as well? Yet, he managed to gain his independence even then?"  
>"Was a different time...doesn't count." She scowled, speeding up her pace so she wouldn't do anything immature like stomp the ground.<p>

They reached the restaurant, where China and Russia were waiting for them. China footed the bill and Russia, after making his farewells, split up from the group.

Later on, early in the morning, Xiao-chin slid out of her bed with a sigh. She was now in a hotel room, since the meeting was to take place over several days. She checked her reflection in the mirror, unsurprised to see they were bloodshot. At least Heong was there, and Thailand had also decided to sleep over. The two of them were the only nations she had found she could tolerate. She wriggled her feet into her shoes before turning the knob to her door, peeking into the public area. Thailand was already awake, watching the television on low volume.

He glanced at her from over his shoulder, his eyes creasing with his smile. "Yo, little sister." He patted the spot next to him on the sofa. She curled dutifully up beside him. "What are you watching?" she asked him, leaning the side of her head against his shoulder. He didn't protest the move.  
>"The Hobbit: the Five Armies, ana~" he told her. He didn't do anything as privacy infringing as giving her head a condescending pat like Ivan would have done, which she liked.<p>

"You know," she sent the room, and the exits in particular, a searching glance. "Is there anyway that I could give up on being a nation? Like, give it to someone else to represent?" His muscles grew tense underneath her head: he was no longer an adequate pillow, so Xiao-chin straightened herself until she sat upright again. "There is a way," he whispered into her ear, so his lips were also concealed and nobody that could lipread would see. "Although, it won't get rid of your own position as Diaoyutai Islands, ana~ It will just give the person you choose your function as a nation." She perked up at that.

"So I would be rid of having to deal with them?" she gestured with a nod in the vague direction eastward where China's room happened to be.  
>"You won't have to, no. That doesn't mean you won't be affected by the changes done to you, as Diaoyu. You just won't be part of the decision-making process." So, in essence, she would still be a nation, except with all the disadvantages and none of the advantages. Except being able to get away from being under China's literal thumb. She let the idea gain motion, oiling the gears in her head, before her face contorted with distaste.<p>

She gave a somewhat exaggerated shudder. "No, that's terrible. Even the idea...forget I said anything." She reached for the remote, to switch of the television, considering that movie was still on and she'd rather like silence as she dealt with the bucket of water that had just been thrown all over her hopes and dreams. "Are you okay? Should I call someone, ana~?" Thailand fretted, having sensed that she very much hated the idea of dropping her autonomy even further by choosing a representative.

"Please, don't," she answered him, pulling a cushion of the sofa to hug closer to her chest. She was just in time for both other nations to enter the room. China scratched as his hair, which for once, not pulled back in it's ponytail. Otherwise he was perfectly wide awake, unlike Heong, who seemed to be a dead man walking. "Morning Heong," Xiao-chin greeted as she placed her cushion aside before either of them could comment. China brushed his sleeve aside to get to his hair ties, and soon tied his hair back into place. Sad. He'd actually looked softer and more genuine without it.

* * *

><p>Three hours earlier: "So I don't have to be around him?" Allegro asked France in a state of frantic disbelief. She'd taken the other by the shoulders, peering with gravity in his blue eyes. They were nice eyes. Blue, and a lot like the emptiness of the sky as just as uncontainable. "Is it not a joke?" Because if he turned around and said it was, she didn't think she could take it. But he smiled at her, very sincerely, and his eyes told her it was true. The breath stoked in her throat and she slid down to her knees, letting go of his shoulders in the process.<p>

"Thank god," her eyes were starting to turn watery, so she wiped at them with her sleeve. "Thank god." The tiles were a nice maroon, and she gazed at her own reflection in them, before managing to pull herself to her feet with a helping hand from him. They were in the kitchen and it was the dead of the night. The pay-off would have to be her sleeping at least until the afternoon, since she didn't do well without an early sleep. That didn't matter, though. Nothing mattered anymore, nothing was weighing her down, nothing on her mind: she was free. She knew a way to get free.

"Now, we should be getting to sleep," France suggested with a flicker of his eyes, gazing at the exits in particular. "Before those two notice something's wrong." She nodded her head, docile now that she knew a way to get rid of her curse. She moved towards the door, hand hovering indecisively on the knob. "You said I had to elect someone to take my place...can I elect just anyone, or is there a checklist I need to use?" She cocked her head to the side, quizzical.

"You don't have to worry about that, my petite chat. Big brother France will send you someone within these next few weeks, and you can elect him for your position as British Columbia." A relieved smile touched her lips and her indecision was done with. She took a step away from the door and launched herself at the other in the room, grabbing him in a hug. He stiffened up, taken aback by the unexpected action. That was a bit more forward than she usually tended to be, but as the situation was special, she let herself go.

When France didn't relax even after a minute had gone by, Allegro finally ripped herself from the other, flushing red. "Well, uh, bye!" she waved before speeding out of that room, where the air had begun to thicken. She didn't think he appreciated that hug. It made her sad, since he'd just handed her the keys to her cell. Was there anything she could possible do to repay him in some way? She went over to her bed, which just happened to be a double bed since Britain was stingy with his allies, not those he perceived as holding allegiance to him. She'd have to think on it.

* * *

><p>"Will you be alright in the meeting this time, or would you rather wait outside?" China asked before they re-entered the hall. He could have simply spoken about that back at the hotel and she would have been fine staying there.<br>"Yes, I'll wait outside," she made her decision, bouncing on the balls of her heels. She arched her neck so she could look over China's head inside the hall room, to find out whether Allegro was already there.

She was: she waved at the other and the girl inside waved back. Eventually, China and Thailand and Heong had entered as well, and she walked past the entrance through the hallway towards the toilet. Her goal was to splash some water in her face. She had just reached the door with the sign printed on it indicating it was for women when a hand slid past her waist and brought her hard against someone's chest. Her mouth was also covered, so she couldn't scream. "I have spies everywhere," Japan's monotonous voice filtered in, like he was making a quip about the weather. "They told me what China is planning."

In other words, he'd decided that since China was planning war anyway there was no real reason for him to try and regain possession of her through diplomacy. She tugged at his wrists, gesturing that she'd zip her lips as long as he let her go. Japan was smarter than that, though, and she could guess he knew her new action would have been to inhale a strong gust of air if only to scream and announce herself. That was before she remembered that Japan had a better relationship with Britain: which in turn, meant it was likelier she and Allegro would be able to rendezvous.

She didn't resist when he led her away towards the roof of the building, where a helicopter was waiting for them? "Huh." She kinda did want to fight back now, because corporal evidence was in front of her that the whole thing was staged. His back was turned to her, so she could probably take a break for it. As long as she was alright with breaking a few bones by falling from the side of the roof, she might actually make it. She silently judged the distance from where she stood a metre away from the edge.

She flung herself towards the drop, forcing Japan along with her since she was still in his grasp. Their legs skid over the stone ground and it almost looked like Xiao-chin would get her wish. She squeezed her eyes shut, her heartbeat doing the tango in her ribcage. He let go of her mouth just as she felt her feet meet nothing but air. "Gerronimooooooooooooo!" she didn't know what came over her, but she just had to shout that. It was the perfect moment, and she might never get another chance.

It was unfortunate that that turned out not to be the appropriate moment to celebrate either, since she found herself slamming against the side of the building. All the air left her lungs in a pained exhale, and Japan was holding onto her hands and preventing her from hitting the ground like she had wanted to. "That wasn't very smart of you," Japan was so kind as to judge, even as he pulled her back up on the roof, inch by painful inch. Xiao-chin sneered back at him, swinging uselessly as she couldn't get to his hands, gripping her wrists. She tried to make him release her by pressing her feet into the side of the building. It did not work, he was just so much stronger.

Eventually, he had managed to get her back on the roof and then into the helicopter. He took his place behind the controls and they were off just when the door to the roof slammed open, Thailand spilling out, who must have noticed her disappearance. The exits had been bolted shut, she'd noticed after testing them. So the only way she could escape now was by smashing the windows in, but there was nothing there to use and that was not mentioning that those same windows were meant to withstand high pressure. She slumped against her chair, waving feebly at the nation calling out for her.

The helicopter brought them to a private airbase a few hours to the south. Once there, she tried to make another escape attempt which ended in failure. The plane took off, back to the house she'd only so very recently managed to leave. "Why would you do this?" Xiao-chin asked Japan once inside the checkered tiled kitchen. She was leaning with her back against the fridge. "What is it about me, and about Allegro, that has all of your nations in a tizz? To risk war over the miniscule islands of Diaoyutai is simply madness." She didn't know the size of Allegro's land, so decided not to mention it.

"It's Senkaku Island," he corrected. "Also, it does have very little to do with you. Your existence simply lets us take out cropped up resentment on one another. It's a grudge that transcends your existence."  
>"Wow, way to make a girl feel appreciated," she murmured absently, mind about a hundred miles away. It would explain a lot of things, like China's insistence to believe she didn't have her own opinion. It was because, to China, she is simply an extension of the grudge he holds towards the man opposite her.<p>

She lifted her head. "And Allegro?" she pressed. He filled his cup with the tea pot, taking a thoughtful sip before answering:  
>"England is simply territorial over the few lands he has left." So Allegro was an extension of the man's mid-life crisis, was that it? It was almost laughable, if their lives and continued autonomy weren't in the balance here.<p>

"And nowadays, most everyone is feeling their age. It causes funny things to happen to us nations, things we usually wouldn't condone," he pointed out through another sip of his tea. His tone was neutral, his eyes unreadable.  
>"If you've noticed that for yourself, why not change?" She hissed, glaring furiously at him through narrowed eyes. It was what a human would do.<br>"Because we're nations. Because we aren't like humans, who adapt on the flip of a coin."

"You won't change, either. Hasn't anyone told you that you act strangely obstinate, that goes beyond inborn stubbornness?" That was indeed, one of the things people had noticed. Her mother especially, who was the woman who had to make her do things. She didn't like to eat a certain food, she wouldn't, no matter what mother did to encourage her. Threats, rewards, manipulation, punishment: it had never worked. She would rather starve. Not only with those kinds of things, but if mother was going out to an event and Xiao-chin didn't want to come, the same thing would happen until the woman would have to bodily drag her along.

Not only at home was she unerringly obstinate, but also at school. It was cool to wear a certain item of dress, to act in a certain way, and she'd stubbornly stick to what she believed in instead. Even when it came to things that were reasonable or expected from her: if she didn't wish to do it, she would not. It was, she had thought, the reason behind her bullying. Her younger brother liked to jokingly refer to her as the 'incorruptible.' A pang went through her chest as she remembered that as a nation, she would outlive him by centuries- if all went to plan.

She pressed her hands against the sides of her head. "I don't want to think of it." She asked to be excused to her room, and he gave her permission, but only if the doors and windows were locked. She didn't much care about that right now, since she was just so exhausted by the whirlwind of events that had taken place over an absurdly short period of time. She was surprised, when she was in her room and she had stripped down, to find that the bruises and scrapes she had expected to appear did not colour her skin. She draped her qipao over the back of the chair and lay herself down.

As she did so, and her eyes slipped shut, she found she couldn't sleep. She sat up again. There was too much on her mind. She searched the room for tools to write with, finding some envelopes, ink and calligraphy pens inside the drawers at the side of her bed. She dipped the pen into the ink and paused, gathering all her thoughts in one line. Finally, she decided on writing a letter to Allegro, hoping that in the morning she would be able to convince Japan to let her mail it. She knew he'd be reading them, so she opted not to write about the representation they could choose to do, but wrote instead about the two friends she'd made. Once done, she licked the letter closed and when she closed her eyes this time, was able to fall asleep, content.

* * *

><p>An shits getting real, my readers. I actually incorporated the plots of two other Hetalia stories I've got on my hard drive, but which outside of a few ideas kind of sucked. Well, okay, only one of them sucked. The other one was actually better than this, since it had a pre-determined plot and contained Prussia, and Prussia automatically makes anything he's in awesome. He was the bad guy in that story, but that's not the point. Please review, if only to tell me whether you like the new twist I just added to the fic!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: don't own.

Chapter six.

She had never thought she'd think this, but since Allegro was safe in Britain's grip, that meant she could take any opportunity of escape that was presented to her. It was just bad luck that Japan had brought that into his calculations: he was a lot more cautious about keeping a firm eye on her. He also had two nations over for when he was out, people he trusted to keep guard over her in his place. Only one of the two were familiar to her, which was the blonde, that Germany. An Italian also accompanied him on all his visits, and she'd thought him weak and thought to easily slip past him, but he was more perceptive than he looked at first glance.

Today, he was bouncing around as usual and prattling on about the painting he'd made in her honour. She had draped a leg over the back of the sofa, so she was looking at him upside down. "An artist, huh?" she had expected a nation to be good at tactics, politics, the usual. Certainly not something as useless as painting. Don't get her wrong, though, she knows there's value to culture like the fine arts, theatre, and what not, but it had never been her strong point so she found it easy to dismiss. There was nothing practical about it all.

"You seem sad," Feliciano pointed out after noticing her boredom. She had leaned her knuckles against her cheeks and looked bleakly of in the distance above his head. "Don't mind me. I'm just a bit tired." It was exhaustion that rung into her bones and she couldn't do anything about because Japan had barred her from using the dojo. She supposed it was finally sinking in, the futility of the whole situation. There were no loopholes, no cracks to slip away from in this curse known as 'nationhood.' She wondered how any of the other nations had survived when they were in her shoes, young and without a sense of sovereignty.

Xiao-chin's lips thinned into a line as she recognised the hole her thoughts had sunk into. She was given in even though she had sworn an oath to herself to never do so. It's just, honestly, what was the point? She didn't have any citizens, so no army, so no way of fighting back. She had no allies who'd be willing to fight for her and she barely knew anything about herself, or rather, about the nation she was supposedly an anthropomorphic version of. Without any resources to carve herself a future, she was like a branch carried of by the wind to places unknown. She did not do well without any sense of control.

That's when her eyes widened, and she froze. She may not know anything about her landmass, her territory, but there was a fallacy in her thoughts. It was an error to think she had nothing when she at least had that. She had the resources of her land, did she not? Even if they could not be of use to herself because she wasn't in possession of any kind of citizenship, didn't mean it couldn't be bargained to someone for help, for the right prize. In itself, even that was also pretty worthless, but it was exactly as Japan had said:

She herself, as Diaoyutai, wasn't important. It was what she represented that was. Something both Japan and China wanted, wasn't it? Something they would fight over, simply for the excuse? Surely that could be useful in a way. "If you're tired, we could both take a siesta," Feliciano offered, and from anyone else that would have been a come-on, but his offer seemed perfectly harmless, just an offer in good faith. She laughed somewhat breathless.  
>"Italy, you shouldn't say something that lightly, you know. One of these days, someone will take you on that offer, and you'll be in some deep shit."<p>

Meanwhile, she was still furiously raking her mind of a way to get out of her bind. Who could she appeal to? Which of the countries would think of her as something they could use, location-wise or simply as a token to snatch away from the two who wanted to wage war? With a combination of the two, and she could actually be valuable in the eyes of people that weren't either China or Japan. Japan had said all the nations were starting to feel their ages, and acting oddly. So that meant more nations were just aching for an excuse to wage war and regain acclaim in the eyes of the rest of the world, not only them two.

She immediately tore Thailand from her metaphorical list. He was too kind, too gentle. He wouldn't want to get any of his people hurt only to gain possession over an useless range of islands. For her, he'd maybe be willing to endanger himself, but that was different. That was all personal, but to help her as Diaoyutai was all business. Italy decided to curl up on the seat next to her, glancing at her curiously since she was ignoring him, feeling rejuvenated by all the possibilities that were only now occurring to her. It was a gift, the information Japan had given her, and it was one she wasn't about to leave hanging.

Maybe Heong? There was a lot of history surrounding him, about China...so he was likely to be willing to stage a rebellion of some kind if she was able to gain a stronger ally and prepared living space for his citizens to life. She grabbed at her throbbing head, ignoring the migraine attempting to put her thought processes to a stop. Man, all this thinking was confusing. It was more Allegro's area than hers, and speaking of Allegro, something was nagging her. The resources of his land...the one who had Allegro in his grasp...of course, it was Britain!

Before she could think that out to it's natural course, Italy bopped her gently on her head. Frankly, her vacant gaze had started to frighten him. She blinked, short eyelashes fluttering weakly. "Say, Italy, what do you think Japan's relationship with Britain is like?" He cocked his head to the side, like a rabbit recoiling from snow that had just fallen on it's whiskers. "It used to be better, but recently, it's gotten worse. Why?" She grinned back toothily, shark-like. There was a disturbing glint in her eye. Italy remained mildly curious.

"Oh really, absolutely no reason. It's just a thought I had. Nothing to do with you." She used her leg to pull herself upright, so she was facing the upholstery of the sofa. She spoke a second time, after a beat of silence had passed. "Actually, there is something you could do. I'm going to write Allegro another letter. You're visiting the UK soon, aren't you? Then, could you give it to her once you arrive?" There wasn't any internet in the house, so she could only ever contact the girl through such archaic ways.

"Well, I shouldn't..." Italy returned, uncertainly. His eyes were suddenly piercing the way they caught her gaze, peeling away her layers to reach her fleshy insides. She swallowed nervously underneath that gaze. More evidence that Italy was, just like his fellow nations, an age in the thousands. "You aren't trying to find another way to rebel against Japan, are you?" There was steel in those eyes. "Are you?" She reminded herself to breathe. Her new scheme could not go awry. It couldn't, or she was officially going to fall into an uncaring depression.

Her mouth was dry, but she managed to move her lips. "No." It was a simple statement, and it was a fact too since she wasn't planning a rebellion. That would mean Japan had control over her to begin with. She was simply reinstating her true place in life, which was as someone underneath her own autonomy even if she had to make sacrifices to get there. The bold lines of his face suddenly softened, his eyes falling half-mast like they tended to be when he was relaxing. A split-second later and he was smiling, having erased every trace of his frankly terrifying seriousness. Even then, that he could change moods like that, like with the flick of a switch...-was scary. She would not be underestimating this man.

He would undoubtedly try and read her letter. She had read a trick for that, something about lemon juice. As long as she wrote down her letter in pencil over the true contents of the letter, than he shouldn't be the wiser. She didn't think it was a trick the nations had caught on yet, since she'd penned a more harmless letter to Allegro before in the same manner, in which what she wrote over it was the same as what she rendered invisible. She knew that Allegro had known about the trick and received the letter because she had gotten one back, where Allegro had used the trick as well. Apparently she had some good news to tell, about some guy France was sending her later on that week.

The lemon juice trick was simple. After pacifying Italy of the notion that she was planning a rebellion, she exited to the kitchen which was connected with the living room. He could keep an eye on her there. She grabbed a lemon and squeezed the juice into a bowl. She added some water and stirred with a convenient toothpick. Then she poured half of it it into a glass, asking Italy if he wanted some lemon juice. He begged of, as she had expected, because that wasn't exactly the way to make nice tasting lemon juice. She returned to the living room and drank her glass, trying not to make faces at the sour taste. She brought the bowl with her.

She waited until he got ready for his mid-afternoon siesta. Italy was a pretty light sleeper - probably because that came in handy as a nation with loads of enemies - so he'd notice if she left his immediate proximity and wake up again. That was the reason why she had brought the bowl. Her writing tools were already laid out over the low lying coffee table. She used a calligraphy pen to write her message onto the paper, asking her to inquire about a possible alliance with Xiao-chin, who would be fine with giving him any amount of territory as long as she could keep some for herself, in return for his help getting out under two certain nations' thumbs.

She wrote over it with the pencil, writing a fairly usual monologue asking after Allegro's health and bemoaning their lot in life. She also added some trash-talking about Britain, because Japan tolerated it and it would seem out of character if she did not. Once done, she shook the piece of paper into the envelop and dutifully licked it shut. She glanced at Italy over the corner of her eye, who was lying so motionless she would have thought him dead if not for the rhythmic lowering and rising of his chest. She let a victorious smirk curl over the corners of her lips, before she pushed the envelop further up the table and curled herself into a ball. Her mind was still and tranquil, so for the first time in weeks, she was able to sleep well.

As she slept, Italy's eyes snapped open again and he went for the envelop. Sliding the piece of paper out of there, he gave it a thorough inspection. From what he could tell, she had written the usual, which Japan had already given her permission to do. He slacked a sigh of relief, because this meant she hadn't lied when he asked her whether she was trying to rebel, like he had feared. He knew being under someone elses' jurisdiction was scary at first, and that was not mentioning how it was having most of Europe fighting over you, but things had eventually settled down for him.

That was the natural order of things, and she was no different. Trying to be another America, but then even earlier, was simply selfish. Grandpa Rome and Germany and everyone else had always told him that being selfish was bad. It was just another word for greed, and Xiao-chin hadn't seemed greedy to him. Just sad, and a little bit tired, but everyone got that way at first! It was not at all out of the norm, so nothing to worry about. Content, he hummed a song to himself as he went about clearing the bowl and cup from the table. A tidy home meant a tidy mind, after all. Considering his mind was cluttered to begin with, it was disturbing to think exactly how bad he would be able to get if he didn't clean up periodically.

As he bent over the low lying table, he caught a whiff of lemon juice. How she was able to drink it without diluting it with loads of honey and water at first, he didn't know. He'd often use that combination himself as a remedy for throat pain, rather than use the manufactured and far less natural cough sirup. He was all for herbs and spices as natural remedies, though that acupuncture stuff made him shudder whenever he even thought about it. He _had_ liked that American (at least he thought it was American?) show called The Dogwhisperer where for some reason or the other some dogs would get acupuncture to relieve stress. That was for dogs, though. Not nations.

He danced towards the kitchen, because big brother France had said that he could dance very good and if he would like to go to one of his clubs one of these days, just the two of them. Germany had convinced him otherwise, though, and as a compromise he'd act as if any place he went to was like one of big brother France's clubs. He'd already gotten more than a few compliments for his moves after he'd made that decision, so he was not about to stop. Besides, dancing was fun, so there was no reason not to even if nobody could see him since the only one there was asleep.

He placed the load in his arms into the sink and stared to fervently scrub: it was something Germany had impressed upon him as a good habit, to immediately get rid of the plates that accumulated rather than leaving them to stink the place up. Speaking of lemons, they could also be used to get rid of any unwanted smells and were much economical than stocking up on those pre-manufactered scents. It's why he had been alright with buying them once he and Germany and Senkaku Islands had been grocery shopping and she had insisted. He squinted at the bowl once done with it, seeing his reflection shine, but just in case he gave it a few more rinses with the hot soapy water.

Once done, he danced his way back towards where Senkaku Islands was waiting. She looked like a cat, curled up as she was. She reminded him of the cat he'd seen snoozing outside in the snow, the cat with rough fur and a piece of her ear ripped of by another cat. The cat had seemed to be frowning, in pain even in it's sleep. He cocked his head to the side. That was strange, because Senkaku Islands was surely smiling in her sleep, even with her skin the unhealthy pallor it was. Well, whatever. He took a step past the table and sat himself down again. He did actually want to take a siesta, so he lowered himself so he was taking up the rest of the space on the couch.

He stopped himself in his tracks as he got another whiff of the strong smelling stuff. Puzzled, he let his hazelnut eyes wander over the table, trying to see whether there was a spill of some kind. There wasn't and Italy cocked his head to the side, his confusion growing. Finally, he set his eyes on the envelop and as he did so took a deep breath through his nose, and indeed, the smell seemed to be coming from that. He reached for the slip of paper and brought it up to his nose, feeling a bit silly and like one of Germany's bloodhounds. He'd tried to get Germany into roleplaying once but he was sadly disinterested.

The smell seemed to be coming from the entire piece of paper, which was strange, as that would mean there hadn't been a spill. If there was a spill, only one corner would have smelled like lemon juice, rather than the entire piece. He almost thought she had dropped the paper into the bowl, but it would have taken longer to dry if so and the paper was completely dry. It crinkled in his had, unlike what a soggy piece would have done. So it was all very peculiar and a suspicion was growing in his mind. Back in the war, there had been a trick Lovino had used to get missives back to the Allies. He'd been a spy even before the rest of Italy (i.e Feliciano himself) had turned turncoat.

He remembered distinctly that lemon juice was an important part of the trick. He looked at Senkaku Islands over the envelop, disappointed. He ended up ripping the paper up in an even number of snippets for an even number of times until it fell from his hand into the trash can, nicely symmetrical. It really bothered him to do so, but he'd have to tell Japan so he could give her an appropriate punishment. He was sympathetic but only so far as that didn't call blame upon any of his friends. That she had been trying to trick him was selfish and unkind and he had thought better of that. Maybe she was more like the cat that had ripped of the pussy's ear than the other way round.

He had been planning on laying a blanket across of her so she'd be warmer as she slept but now he decided, with a shake of his head, that he wouldn't do so. If only because she'd lied to his face.

A/n about Italy's pov... I don't even know. It's kind of all over the place and he probably mentions Germany too much, but I see him as easily affected by other nations, so since he hangs out with him the most... Also, Xiao-chin was at the point of mental breakdown in this chapter. I had to throw her a bone, even if it would be a temporary one. Poor character, why do I do this to you? :( Please review about my sadism!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: don't own.

Chapter seven.

"Why do you look so excited?" Britain wondered as they were walking up the hill of a street in Scotland. Allegro was twirling around and basically acting a bit like a ditz. She turned so she was walking backwards. "Why wouldn't I? I'm going to meet your brother, aren't I? Doesn't that mean that I'll be meeting my brother, as well?" Naturally, the reasons why she was so hyper had absolutely nothing to do with that, but she couldn't tell him the truth. It was her and France's little secret, until it was enacted. She hid a giggle behind her sleeve and twirled around once more.

It was meeting based upon the promised changes England would make on Scotland's devolution, since they voted no on complete independence. That was mainly because of the scare mongering campaign the media and most of the parties started on, preying on people's financial insecurity and what not. When she was still in Ireland, Allegro had actually taken a politics course about the individual countries that made out the UK, so she knew all about it. They arrived at the rather small house on the top of the hill, placed right next to a corner going into a road leading down.

"There's nothing to be that happy about," Britain muttered as he knocked onto the door. The doorbell actually didn't work. "It's just Scotland." If she didn't know better she would think he was sulking but she did know better. She didn't even want to tag along, but Britain had insisted. Or was it England now, since he was going to be speaking to Scotland? She didn't really know. It didn't matter, regardless. Scotland creaked the door open a quart, and he was a man with rosy hair and blue eyes. His skin was white as ashes, much paler than even England's. It must be the consequence of not getting much sun.

"Go on, you know you don't have to knock," he suggested as he swung it open more fully and ushered the two of them in. "Quit the sarcasm," Britain replied, annoyed. Scotland's eyes stood pitying. Maybe England had a prosecution complex. The space inside Scotland's house was pretty cluttered. There were plenty of keepsakes scattered around, including drawings of himself and England and other unfamiliar people who she could assume were in some way related to the two. There was an axe on display above the fireplace, which was what drew Allegro's attention the most when she stepped in. Britain hadn't been hanging onto any dangerous weapons that nonchalantly.

Scotland took his place in the armchair to the side of the fireplace. They took their place opposite him, on the sofa. It wasn't leather or actually made out of any expensive material. It looked like Scotland wasn't much of a consumer, compared to his brother. "This would be Allegro?" he guessed, planting his arms against his knees, which were spaced apart like he was trying to take up more space. He gave her a fleeting glance rather than a searching look. "More importantly, about the devoluted powers we were promised." His tone was amicable, but England winced anyway. Allegro would too: Scotland was smiling, but his eyes were not.

* * *

><p>"This tea tasted like shit," Xiao-chin said as she let go of the handle of the cup. It shattered in multiple, thick pieces, though there was also a spray of shards the collision kicked up. She smiled, impudent and challenging, at Japan, who sat opposite her. The tea pot was still steaming in the middle of the table. He was gripping his own cup with his fingers clenching the rim. His knuckles had gone white and it was admirable, really, that his own cup hadn't collapsed inwards yet. She sat with her legs folded, as usual, before deciding in the silence to unfurl them and allow them their space. The result was that her legs stretched underneath the low hanging table and her foot touched Japan's pillow.<p>

"You're deliberately baiting me," Japan calmly remarked, though she already knew she'd affected him more than he wished to let on. She let her lips curl into a crooked kind of grin and shrugged her shoulders, raising her hands carelessly. "And if I am?" She asked him, leaning forwards over the wreckage the porcelain shards had made out of the tatami mats between her and the table. "You can't stop me. I do what I will. If you do want to stop me, you'll have to force me!" His anger didn't matter in the low run. She could go the consequences in the wind, because she had an iron in the fire in the place of Britain.

"You're usually far more careful than this," A frown, a wrinkle in the bridge of his eyes. "Something must have happened," he speculated as he tapped his cup against his chin. "Something's made you devil may care, and it isn't China. It can't be Italy or Germany, either." Xiao-chin tolerated his stare with her nose in the air. She surely wasn't about to back down. "Do you no longer care? No, that is not it either." She almost thought he'd keep beating around the bush until he became blue in the face. It was obvious he already knew, and she wanted to see the emotion flashing through his usually dull eyes.

"Ah, it wouldn't have anything to do with that letter you wrote Allegro-san, would it?" Bullseye. Finally, he said what was on his mind.  
>"Exactly. That letter that Italy sent some days ago. Britain must have informed you, then?" If she had stood up and walked, it would have been with a swagger. She was so confident she had him ensnared. Her resentment for the kidnap, and for the rooftop scene, had yet to diminish. It would probably never go away, or at least not fully.<p>

"Actually," Japan began, as he placed his cup onto the mahogany table. The spoon inside clinked as it hit the cup's rim. It was placed with way less force than she had expected. "That would be the letter Italy tore into shreds one he caught up to your true intentions. The same letter that has gotten nowhere across the border to either Allegro-san or Britain, or will ever, as it's now burning in a garbage disposer away from this house. I can understand your frustration, at being unable to send Allegro-san a letter without it being read, but I wonder... what was this about Britain?" She was fucked.

Xiao-chin very deliberately avoided eye-contact and pulled her legs from underneath the table. The shards crunched beneath her shoes as she hugged said appendages to her. She lifted her chin. "That has nothing to do with you," she was going to find a way of correspondence with the nation, one of these days. She _was_. Japan and his comrades couldn't keep a close eye on her forever. It was nothing to get upset about, or to show any sort of reaction to. It was obvious that Japan had set this up, and she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing how her heart had just stopped.

"You're crying," he observed, before his kimono suddenly closed in on her until that was all she saw. She froze as the fine silk sleeve brushed her cheek. It was a hug, yes, and it was a light one that she could escape at any time, rather than an oppressive one like China was very fond of giving her. Her face twisted and the sinews of her body grew prominent at how tense she became. And now he was pitying her. Just great. She wasn't crying at all, though. These weren't her tears. They just kept on coming. Someone else had to have control over her faculties, because she couldn't be crying.

She didn't break away from the hug even though she could. She just... it was just... Xiao-chin let out a soft hiccup, tears streaming down her cheeks. She pressed her face into his kimono in an attempt to conceal. So long as she was crying she couldn't be seen. She had to stay there, huddled and warm in his hug, which she thought might actually be sincere, because she couldn't be seen. Her lips were salty and some of the liquid sidled down her neck and slipped behind her collar.

She found her hands grasping desperately at his sleeves. Xiao-chin clung to him, because there was no-one else there who might be able to give her some relief from the maelstrom that was her disappointment, her embarrassment and her shame. She hadn't even been able to get a message over to him. Her knuckles grew white. She'd truly done all she could, now. What was left? "I-I want my mom. Just bring my mom here. I just, just...j-j-just..." She hid her face, the material twisting between her fingers. "Please, can you just tell me what's going to happen to me? This is strike three, right? One strike and I was out? I-I'm out?"

Japan pulled away. Xiao-chin knew he couldn't bear the pitiful sight she made. His lips had thinned in a line, and he was observing her, how she folded her arms over her eyes so he couldn't see. "I'll forgive you this time," he gave her his blunt testament. "And I won't ask about Britain, either." He was pitying her, pitying her! His eyes had softened. "You should remember that I'm your big brother, and if you don't feel well, I'll be there anytime. I'll see about getting your family shipped over to see you during the week and about coming up with a schedule for them to visit outside of that. You're young, and we all make mistakes."

Her fingers twitched and her sobs grew less pronounced until they disappeared completely. It made way for a complicated expression, as if she was torn between gratitude and hatred. One bout of crying later and he had basically given her a blank slate despite his earlier, stricter behaviour. China had kept her family from her though they were so close. And they were so far away now, but Japan was willing to go the extra mile. What was wrong with this picture? Simply everything. She was so pathetic that even her nemesis was going to pacify her childish cry for her mother, but why did it have to be Japan? The agony. Her pride.

"Just go." She turned her back to him, brushing the shards of porcelain from her knees.

* * *

><p>"So this will be the country's representative in my place?" Allegro wondered. She was standing underneath France's umbrella, since it was pouring cats and dogs out there. She had been able to slip away from England's meeting with Scotland by using the bathroom excuse. Since France and Scotland had a pretty good relationship, he'd been able to ship him and the citizen over under the excuse of an improptu visit. Everything was going as planned, so far. The man's hair was peppered with strands of grey and the lines of his face were severe. She didn't know whether it was fair to let such an old man carry such a heavy burden, but better him than her.<p>

"Then, how will we do this?" She questioned next, given him an uncertain look. The nation patted her head, which was obviously meant to be reassuring but then she remembered his reaction to the hug. He obviously didn't want to touch her if it couldn't be helped.  
>"It's an easy procedure," the citizen intercepted before France could explain, maybe sensing that France was too impatient a person to bother. "All you have to do is renounce your bond with the earth with another nation present."<p>

"So, I just say, I renounce my bond with the earth... and?" The citizen continued to explain that she had to grant him her function as nation, including all of her rights. To do that, he had to pronounce himself no longer a member of humanity but a missionary of Earth, and she had to concur to that by willingly spilling some of her blood. It was all very confusing and it sounded a lot like a caveman ritual, but whatever. Allegro was alright with anything, as long as she got her human life back. The ritual commenced once they found the perfect place to hold it - at a side of a pretty much abandoned road to the countryside - and it was all very pompous and very anticlimactic. Once it was done, Allegro didn't feel different per say but she'd take France on his word that something had changed.

France and British Columbia were so kind as to give her a trip back to Ireland, back to her family. Since that was were her true family lay, whatever Britain had thought. It didn't matter now, in any case at any rate, because now she was free of him. She knew this because he hadn't phoned her to find her whereabouts despite having taken like four hours 'at the loo,' which would be impossible. He had to know about it by now - France was probably already bragging. "Did your trip get cut short?" her brother asked as she entered the house, draping her wet coat onto the hanger. "What do you mean?"  
>"Your year as an exchange student?" Allegro felt insulted that that's the only lie Britain had been able to come up with for her continuing absence.<p>

"Yes," she told him instead before giving him a heartfelt hug. She lifted her face. "I was just a little bit too homesick."  
>"But to give up such an opportunity..." he mused. "But, it was your decision. If you feel this is best, then I won't complain." She gave her black Labrador and her sister both also big hugs, to make up for the time lost. "Oh Vegeta," she hummed into the dog's fur, as his tail thumped against her leg. "I actually think I missed you the most." He was such a fatso, but all the same, he was and had always been there for her in a way her drug addict of a sister and her distant parents were not.<p>

Even brother was also only partly Vegeta's worth. They used to have another dog - his brother - which they named Goku but unfortunately they had to let go of them once they moved to a more confined space in a bad neighbourhood. There were lots of bad neighbourhoods, in Northern Ireland.

A/N hey so I totally lost the story I had based on the whole representative process so I made this intentionally vague since I'm planning on rewriting that part of the chapter once finding said story. Also, this is soooo much shorter than usual, but that's because my original plan - to make a big deal out of it - didn't pan out. So my ears hurt, my back hurts, and my head hurts, so I shall tell you adieu for now. Until next time, and please review if only about the plot twist in which Japan is suddenly... *drumroll* ...strangely nice!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: don't own.

Chapter eight.

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?" America screeched through the phone the moment she picked up. "NO, WAIT, I'M COMING OVER THERE." He subsequently hung up and Allegro stared at the receiver, listening to the dial tone. Well, he'd obviously found out what had happened. How was she going to explain his arrival to her family, though? She tried to phone him again, except that the number she had dialed apparently didn't exist. That made sense. Nation-tans probably didn't want to be able to be hassled by humans all the time.

She slipped from her vanity and padded out of her room, which was actually quite small and couldn't even contain a double bed, sad to say. She flew down the spiral stairs flinging the door open at the very end and jumping over the square leading to the cellar. Her dog was seated on the couch pushed against the wall, as usual, and his black hide was totally camouflaged in the black imitation leather. "Okay, don't panic," she told her dog, ignoring her brother's presence in the kitchen adjunct to the living room. "But a hyperactive guy is probably going to arrive. He's in his twenties," or at least looked like it.

Vegeta just huffed painstakingly through his nose, peeling his eyes open to fix her with a look for interrupting his sun bathing. He wasn't at all like the Vegeta out of her favourite child hood series, though Goku came pretty close. She pulled at her dog's flabby cheeks, displaying his sharp teeth to her eyes. He snorted back at her, unimpressed. "A guy. Is coming over. Without any fore-warning? Le gasp, where is my sister and what did you do with her?" brother remarked to her as he exited the kitchen with a cat in his arms. It was one of the neighbours, who liked frolicking in their garden. He pushed the window open next to the tv set and let her out.

Dad was out, working, as was mother. Luckily, that meant only her brother might notice something fishy and if he did, he was likelier to discuss it with her than tell it on. Vegeta decided he had enough of her abuse ten minutes later and heaved himself from the sofa to skid with his paws over the polished floorboards. He was a burly dog, not like the skinny runts the Labradors nowadays were being bred as. It just made for more space she could use as a pillow, but that was fine, her dog liked to take naps with others draping themselves over him. He was strong, so to him it was the equivalent of wearing a warm blanket.

It took another forty minutes before whirlwind America entered the house, demanding an explanation for why she was there and not with England as she so obviously should be. In the meantime, her dog had placed himself next to her again. She took that as her actions not having been noticed yet and invited America to sit at the other side of her dog. "Calm down. Breathe." She placed his hand onto Vegeta's head, so he could give the dog a few pets and allow his coarse fur to force him to a state of tranquility. It seemed to work, just as it did for her when she was in emotional upheaval.

"Also but more importantly, I wasn't here to talk about England. Or at least not totally. What happened? Why did you choose a representative?" Okay scratch that thought, so he did know. "And if you did, why not one of my citizens, rather than one of his?"  
>"How do you even know?" she diverted the topic. "I presume you haven't told Britain about it?" Or so she hoped. While she shouldn't have anything to do with him as no-longer a country, didn't mean he wouldn't lecture her for it, she was sure.<p>

"Oh, he knows," America shook his head. "From the moment when you make a decision like that, he'll know." She rubbed her hands over her arms, shuddering. Ugh. She'd thought she had more time, but that reminded her - "Why hasn't he contacted me then?" because that had been what she was expecting. America tugged her wrist from her arm, placing it on the dog like she'd done for him. Her shoulders dropped and she rubbed behind Vegeta's ear.  
>"Since he's the one who has to deal with the bureaucratic side of your country," America continued. "Eyebrows is a bit busy right now, you know."<p>

"Not my country," she corrected as she pointed with her finger upwards, making her point. "Not anymore, at least." She busied herself flattening Vegeta's ears behind him, so that she didn't have to see America's expression. Vegeta would look a lot like a seal, if his skeletal muscle wasn't so thick. Instead, he looked a bit like a walrus, whiskers and all.  
>"Err, you still are British Columbia," America proclaimed, looking at her askew. It was like he was trying to figure her out while simultaneously dealing with a migraine. "It's still you."<p>

She scoffed. "Right." She ignored the faltering in her heartbeat, stroking her fingers underneath Vegeta's chin. The dog closed his eyes in enjoyment, as unaffected by his surroundings as always. "You're just saying that because you're on Britain's side. I'm pretty sure the foreign relations between France and America are next to nothing, am I right?" Her voice was at the edge of hostility. Vegeta opened one eye to give her a wary look, before suddenly shaking himself to get rid of her hand. Or at least, get it off of him, as the dog licked at her palm soon after. "Good boy, good boy." She wiped the slobber back into his fur, making a face.

"Maybe this is a conversation you should be having with someone else than me. I'm phoning Britain," America announced as he reached for her home telephone. She placed her palm on his wrist to stop him, and her dog leaned against her arm to give it more weight. "Didn't you says he's busy? If so, could we let it go, for now?" America gave her a hard, searching stare, before reaching into his shirt to get his own mobile. He stood up abruptly, scaring her dog in the process. He left the room for some privacy. Allegro gritted her teeth and her dog let out a loud bark. She looked down to see her fingers clenching his fur. She relaxed her grip, burying her face into his fur. "Sorry boy."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Xiao-chin was waiting for her parents arrival in the foyer of the house. She'd crossed her arms and was using the doorframe to lean against, peeking out of the wrinkled glass next to the frame. So far so good. Nobody had arrived at the doorstep yet. Finally, Japan joined her there from the hallway entrance. He was shaking his head at her and gesturing for them to talk. She didn't really want to even face him, to be honest, She was still utterly embarrassed of that blow-up that had just taken place.<p>

"China isn't allowing them to leave the country," he bluntly told her, deciding that he could talk well enough without her coming closer or even turning to face him. She drew a blank. "With 'them,' you mean my family?" She tried to relax her jaw so her words came out less clipped, but couldn't because she'd clenched it so strongly and was now grinding her teeth in righteous agony. Of course he wasn't letting them leave! Haha! That's what she got for presuming otherwise! Always, always, nothing went as planned. Maybe she should just not even try any more, maybe stop anticipating that luck would go her way for once.

She exhaled, and inhaled, pushing herself away from the exit. "Alright, I can deal with this. I suppose I just won't ever go back to his place anymore. No problem." No problem at all! She pushed past Japan to get to the kitchen to splash some water in her face. Once done with that, she looked around the room. It felt way too confined in there. For serious. Besides, that hadn't been the plan to begin with. The nations were all as bad as eachother and the only one she could truly depend on was herself and her own ingenuity - or lack thereof, as had been the case.

"Ne, Japaaan!" a voice suddenly interrupted. It was Italy. He was waving from them at the doorframe. "Hey!" He was there, along with Germany. His visit came unannounced. She could see that from Japan's reaction. He blinked, his focus shifting to Italy.  
>"Did something happen?" And Italy glanced over to her instead of answering, sniffing the air like a dog, before something in his stance relaxed.<br>"Likely nothing important, but your Sekaku will like to know about it," Germany replied over Italy's head.

The only reason why Xiao-chin would need to know about a situation was because it concerned her...or Allegro. She shifted from standing next to the sink to join them on the rug covering the living room. She frowned pensively as her eyes flickered from Italy's slightly clouded but certainly open gaze towards Germany. "This has something to do with Allegro," it was a statement of a fact. Japan moved so he hovering stiflingly over her shoulder.  
>"Wow, you already knew, Sekaku?" Italy piped up, moving across the room with a pent-up energy, wound up tighter than a coil. Such was he in his natural state.<p>

Xiao-chin listened, her mind detaching, about just how well her friend had been played. And by France, England's enemy, to boot. In a certain way it was funny, but her voice was dry when she tried to laugh. She couldn't help but think she could have prevented that, if only she'd told Allegro about the whole ugly business of representatives. "She can't have done this knowing what exactly it meant," she stated, tone reasonable and hollow of any real anger. She flattened her palm against the wall as her eyebrows creased. She needed the support. "There is a way to undo the damage, isn't there?" At least, that's what she remembered Thailand saying.

"There is, but the damage has already been done. So long as she believes, in her heart, that she isn't worthy of regaining her role and not just as a placemaker, the situation will stay the same." And as they all knew, while Xiao-chin had already acknowledged her lot in life, Allegro had not. It wasn't the lot of being under either Japanese or Chinese rule, but that as a nation who would find herself creating history and changing reality just by her existence. She smiled wryly, a quirk of her lips and turned away from the wall. "I know a way that I can get her to acknowledge what needs to be. It'll mean placing her in my care, though. I doubt England would like that." It also meant she'd be able to contact him through her. With this, her plan was once again in the works.

Germany shook his head, but his jaw had taken on a pondering tilt. She knew she'd at least spread ideas in his mind, and she hoped he'd put thought to action. Japan, who knew her better, ended up sending the two nations home despite his inbuilt politeness making such an action unseemly. "I wouldn't like that either, as you know," he stated mildly, staring right through her without blinking. He then gave a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "But if you do manage to do as you promise, then England will owe me a favour. Just for that, I'll let it go." A grin spread over her countenance at the admission, one she knew pained him.

"Alright then," laughter rang in her voice, and she didn't even know why. A distraction from her grief, perhaps? "For my actions to succeed I will have to have access to the entire house, not just my room." She let that sink in, seeing the comprehension dawn. His concession had given her a renewed sense of purpose: she was going to squeeze out what she wanted from this. Her audacity was not amusing to him, but it was to herself. There was that giddiness again. Her lips twitched as she tried to keep a sober countenance.

Japan ended up clapping a hand on her shoulder, and it was obviously meant to be affectionate. "That is how it has always been meant to be." So long as she didn't resist against the awful and claustrophobic reality she was faced with, right? The amusement fled as quickly as it had appeared. She shook his touch from her and took a few steps back.  
>"I'm not going to think about that anymore," she told him. "Maybe you should do the same."<p>

Her point made, she marched towards the dojo. If he had wanted to stop her, he could have. He didn't. He knew as she knew, she wasn't going to leave until Allegro was there. Also, maybe his attempt to get her family there (for no reason? really?) was messing with her. She ran trembling hands through her hair, nervous energy making her knee jump whenever she stood still. So she instead channeled that energy into punishing hits, letting the sandbag feel it instead. She bent her leg, aiming at the level a person's lower abdomen was and then switching her legs. The exertion felt good and her good mood returned after the coaxing.

It was a week later when Britain arrived, Allegro on his heels. Allegro looked wilted, devastated, and so on and so forth. Xiao-chin, rather unfairly, found she couldn't come up with much sympathy for the girl. What they had was a rather dangerous kind of co-dependency. It had stopped her from fleeing her captors grasp more than once. She couldn't feel sympathy for someone who'd kind of made her own bed, even if she hadn't had all the information at her side. Nobody did, in life, and yet they still took responsibility for their own decisions. Allegro wasn't a child. She had to take responsibility, just like everyone else. It was on her whether she was going to take Xiao-chin's helping hand and dig herself out of her mess.

Xiao-chin closed her eyes. She didn't like this side of herself, preferred ignoring it. "Xiao!" Allegro breathed in surprise. Had she not been told that she was going to be here?

A/n Again short, but this time I couldn't exactly continue writing since it would seem choppy otherwise Please review, and I hope you enjoyed it.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: don't own.

Chapter nine.

Allegro frowned to herself as she entered Japan's abode for the so manyth in her life. She could sense the hostile toxic fumes Xiao-chin was emitting even with her eyes closed. She sensed it, but she didn't understand the reason behind it. She could make an assumption that it had to do with for what reason she had shipped back there, though. Everything France had done in her presence had been a lie. He had simply fooling her, who didn't know better.

She felt numb as she sat down heavily onto the spot next to Xiao-chin. With a tilt of her chin she avoided the other's gaze, tracing the contours of the ceiling fan instead. She wasn't going to start anything about it, though. France was a nation - subvertigue and all that was his cinch. She understood that she wasn't to blame about what had happened and more importantly, it was likely there was still some method out there that could prevent her from staying the nation that she was.

Because she was sure, she couldn't allow herself to cry on Xiao-chin's shoulder like the latter must have expected. That woman's gaze was like a drill entering her spine but she bared with it. She was stronger than this - this wouldn't be her downfall; just nothing but a small set back. Besides, she had won something, hadn't she? As much as Britain wanted her to think the status quo hadn't been swapped out for a new one, she had listened when America spoke about what the deal had wrought. If she wanted to, she could go home. He no longer had the means to keep her there, outside of the obvious.

Instead, she clasped her hands together over her knees and listened silently, nodding now and then, as Japan explained to them the new rules of the household. They were ones she could follow, but she didn't have to. In some ways, ridding herself of the advantages of being a nation-tan had also rid their hold over herself. Socially, they had to treat her as if she was a unconnected human. She wasn't beholden to them, and as like if they had kidnapped two non-nations, they simply couldn't keep her there. She could see from the appraisal in Japan's brown eyes that he understood that she understood. They understood each other.

"I'm going to the dojo," Xiao-chin abruptly announced, stretching her arms over the length of her back. Her eyes flickered to catch a hold of hers. "Want to come with?" The hostility had softened, taken the place of pity instead. Allegro allowed herself to smile faintly at the other's concern, but shook her head. "There isn't a need. I'd rather...rest, for now. With the upheaval and all." Xiao-chin's lips thinned and it almost seemed as if she had changed her mind, but then her gaze moved to Japan who had just taken a sip of newly brewed tea. She ended up leaving after all.

For a moment, the room was quiet except their even breathing. Allegro wet her lips, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth. Despite herself, being in the room with another nation without any one else being there with her was quite unnerving. Also, she couldn't stand the silence, which is why she'd enjoyed America's company so much. He was talkative and reacted well to her encouragement. He was easily placed in a box, but Japan was someone she couldn't place in such a manner

Allegro stared at her laps were her knuckles were linked. "Sooo... what do you do here for entertainment?" Inwardly she winced at that pathetic attempt at a conversation started. Japan didn't even deign to stare at her when he answered, gazing at the folded doors in front of his veranda instead.  
>"You could still join Senkaku in the dojo; or we could play a game."<p>

That beckoned her interest. "What kind of game?" she asked as she gazed at the gentle curve of his neck, where his eyes would be if he just turned around. "Is it a board game?"  
>"I've collected many games over the many centuries I've lived." The floor creaked as Japan climbed to his feet, before he went to rummage around in the cupboard spaced next to the exit.<p>

"Do you know the rules of Mahjong? Or would you rather play go? The latter is more often palpable to westerners, because they think of it a bit like a fusion between chess and checkers."  
>Allegro shifted where she sat, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. She'd read the rules about go before, and besides, it had sounded interesting. She voiced her approval of the choice.<p>

He came back out of the cupboard with the board in his arms, juggling two boxes containing the go pieces. She walked over to take the two boxes from him as he set the board down, placing the boxes at either side of it. "Will I be white?" Allegro asked, emotionally exhausted. "Or black?" she had heard something about it being better if you began with a certain colour, but she couldn't prop up the energy to sift through her mind in order to find out.

"Whichever you want to be is fine," Japan answered. He poured piping hot tea into her cup without having to be asked. He was courteous that way.  
>"Then, I'll be white." There wasn't much to her choice but a fit of pique and she accepted the box as it was given to her. She ran her thumb down the lacquered playing piece, feeling the small imperfections that had accumulated after so many years of ownership.<p>

When he bowed his head and garbled out something in Japanese, she scrambled to follow. There was an etiquette about things like this: certainly also among humans. Humans which were now starting to become a species which Allegro envied. To distract herself from her woes, she placed her piece on one of the eyes - which would be one of the centre corners from which go players commonly started. Silence blanketed the place a second time, but it was a comforting silence only broken now and then by the ptcha of the go pieces as they were placed on the board.

Xiao-chin returned an hour later but did not interrupt them: choosing instead to lean against the doorframe with her arms folded. Observing and categorizing what she saw. Allegro didn't know her trail of thought, but then, she wasn't feeling very much of anything right now. She always got very into whatever game or book or sport or whatever it was that drew her sometimes flighty attention. It was nice, not being able to think. Maybe she liked Japan better - maybe he was someone likeable, compared to whatever Britain just happened to be.

* * *

><p>Xiao-chin was very surprised at Allegro's conduct. It wasn't as if she had been looking forward to, what she had expected to be an incoming breakdown, but still. It was like nothing could touch Allegro now, like everything just slid off of her back like a duck in the water. She was concerned there was something more to Allegro's newfound confidence. Had her stay with Britain been able to break her by this much? Or, maybe she had someone else to blame. A certain cheese-licking, frog-biting Frenchman, maybe.<p>

With that in mind she left the two of them to the game that had them so obsessed and exited the room for the hallway, where Japan kept his phone. That was also where, conveniently, Japan just happened to keep his address book. She swept her hand over the cabinet, grasping the phone before sending a glance back towards the living room. She'd better avoid that place: she was certain any calls she tried to make near it would be picked up by Japan almost immediately. He had the senses of a nation, after all. She slunk towards the garden instead, but the one before the house rather than behind it.

The first one she rang was America. He picked up almost immediately (yeah, she had doubted he wouldn't, considering the percentage of people in his country that were completely phone-obsessed.) "'Ello, Japan!" he greeted, his tone lackadaisical and energetic as ever.  
>"It's Xiao-chin. I was just phoning to ask whether you could describe Allegro for me?" There was silence at the other end of the line. Her question must have him stumped. "Its not for anything stalkerish," she tried.<p>

"I didn't think so, but boy was that a suspiciously detailed denial," America cheerfully recited. There was another, shorter pause. "But I'm all about helping my fellow nations 'n'all, so I'll tell you what I know." And so he did, verbatim, tell her what he knew. Apparently Allegro, at the start, had been rather gloomy before she warmed up to his presence. She was still rather conservative around his brother, though. When she asked him which brother he meant, he answered with a prompt: "Both!" Xiao-chin realized, through the course of the phone call, that Allegro's relationship with Britain may have been worse than the one she held towards either of her own Asian sovereign states.

That she was able to avoid him, the girl must have counted that as a success. That Japan had played a part, however small and indirect, at helping her avoid him, must be the reason why she was so strangely amicable towards the man. It annoyed her, to be completely honest, because it had been her who'd had to negotiate with Japan for the possibility of Allegro's stay here at his humble adobe. She did however realize that she was acting more like a brat now than Allegro was. She hadn't known she'd been clinging so much to her idea of Allegro than the reality, as was now becoming obvious. She thanked America for his time and hung up.

Still, the opinion of one man, nation or no, didn't count for much. She ended up dialing Canada, and then Britain himself, to get a better look in what kind of person Allegro truly was, and what her emotional state had been when she'd so willingly shackled her country rights to another person, and a human at that. Representative or no, the man was still a human and even with France whispering in his ear, he was likely to make mistakes that Allegro, as was her birthright, could have picked up on in his place. She also realized that her own opinion on the matter counted for naught but a grain of salt, and maybe even less than that. If Allegro was so satisfied with her lot in life, was it really Xiao-chin's part to dismantle that satisfaction just so she could undo the representation and find herself in Britain's favour?

Yes, Xiao-chin thought to herself as she placed the phone back on it's charger. Of course she'd be able to do that. She turned on her heel: her destination, the dojo. Maybe she'd feel better after taking out some of her anger on the punching bags hanging there from the rafters.

* * *

><p>Japan won, of course. That was as to be expected. He still told her she was good, though. Not many humans put up that well of a fight when it came to that game, since they didn't have even a grain of his experience. She mainly enjoyed the fact that he had indirectly referred to her as human, even if he hadn't meant to. She still counted that as a win. After bowing and thanking him for the game - she did know her manners, if only because of Japanese media - she left the living room to go to the toilet. She came back out again, refreshed.<p>

Xiao-chin she knew was in the dojo just down the hall - she could hear the other's grunts of exertion - but she still wasn't planning on having an actual conversation with the girl. It was likely going to be a variant of Britain's scolding, or America's disappointment, both of which she had already received. Instead, she left the house to do some roaming of the neighbourhood, since contrary to Xiao-chin there was nothing keeping her there, on the premises but her own goodwill. She ended up being presented with some snacks at the market place, free of charge. She was in such an ambient mood she didn't even think to become suspicious.

She was walking round the corner and near an alley-place when the first wave of fatigue hit her. By then, she'd already started gnawing on a stick of takoyaki, and since it was free the snack was likely to blame. She stared bleakly at the gray pavement beneath her hands, were she had caught herself before she could face-plant. Otherwise, she would have been in even greater trouble, since it was very easy to gain a concussion from a fall from that far up. Ah, the woes of someone who was tall.

She lost conscious somewhere between that thought and the next. When she regained what she had lost, it was to find that she'd been robbed. As in, the money that was basically like her allowance from Britain was no longer there - neither were her very nice boots, or her branded handbag. She was typically not the type to actually use her handbag, so thankfully her credit card was still safe and sound at home. Still, it had been a gift from her brother after she'd dropped in on him so suddenly, obviously having been in some way in trouble. Man, she just loved that dude.

In any case, Allegro moved herself up into a semi-squat, because her head was starting to pound and her mouth tasted like cotton and if she moved any further, she wasn't responsible for any puke that might end up in her general proximity. She felt like a wreck. It was like the emptiness of the universe was laughing at her, sharing popcorn with whatever being it was that had decided her life's goal was to screw up Allegro's life. That person had to be pretty pathetic. She wished a popcorn allergy upon her.

After five more minutes of staying in that same position, Allegro finally decided she had to shift since her legs were going numb and her back was starting to ache. Like that, she struggled all the way back to Japan's estate. As was typical, Xiao-chin took one look of her and freaked, saying she was going to mess up whoever had messed her up. As much as Allegro liked the sentiment, she was pretty sure the people who had done this to her were long gone, Instead, she retired to her room for the evening.

A/n It has come to my attention that I've been paying Xiao-chin too much attention and Allegro too little, so here, some role reversal. Please enjoy.


End file.
